Session: Young Women’s Design + Building Institute, Summer 2022

Builders: 35 builders

Materials: 8×18′ trailer, 2×4 framing lumber, 1/2″ and 1/4″ plywood, 20-foot Sonotube, paint, stencils, paint pens

Description: In just two short weeks this summer, 35 high school girls and gender-expansive youth in our Young Women’s Design + Building Institute constructed an incredible toolbox float for the San Francisco Pride Parade! The project was first dreamed of back in 2019, with hopes to make it happen in 2020…but then the COVID-19 pandemic happened, and we had to wait a few years for the SF Pride Parade to return. Still, the creative process was worth the wait! In true “on the job” training, our students learned how to use a chop saw, circular saw, jig saw, drill and impact driver, which they used to cut lumber, frame the walls, and attach cladding to the float. Highlights included on-the-spot trigonometry and incredible teamwork…lowlights included painting in the hot sun!

When the Girls Garage toolbox float rolled down Market Street in the SF Pride Parade, thousands of people roared with delight. We were certainly a showstopper!