During winter break at Pacific High School in Sitka, Alaska a small group of students did something very different. They learned how removing the fur from a deer skin to demonstrate one of the first steps in making leather according to kcaw.org. 

Local teacher and educator Jud Kirkness led four students through the first step of leather making inside a classroom. He scraped fur from a deer hide using a simple wooden tool. Students wore gloves and pulled fur by hand.

The session was part of Pacific High’s Friday Lifeskills program in Sitka. The program focuses on real world skills that matter to local life. These include deer skinning, boat upkeep and trail maintenance and more.

The Friday Lifeskills program was built to connect students with community partners. The goal is learning that helps students both inside and outside school.

Students learned that leftover deer fur can be composted. One student asked to take the fur home so her grandmother could make a hat. Kirkness encouraged her to take as much as she could carry.

The class ended with a hands on show and tell. Students handled animal based items including a pouch made from a deer skin and different leather products.

As students left for lunch some stopped to study the fur free hide. One student compared it to the leather purse she carried. She walked away with a deeper respect for how leather is made.