Meet Genessa

by bendixacademy | Jul 12, 2021 | meet

My son has Asperger’s Syndrome, a high functioning condition on the Autism Spectrum. Grey has a savant memory of fact and details, but his condition makes it difficult for him to socialize, engage, and fit in with children his own age. In middle school he was very shy, lacked confidence, and was severely introverted.

For years, I tried find ways to help Grey embrace and appreciate his unique gift, but it was always challenging. He has a love of learning and a need to learn things that our schools and I could not provide. As a single mother, I was stressed.

Then came Bendix Academy.

A serendipitous encounter one afternoon led to Grey’s participation in a program that fostered his natural and unique talents and unleashed his untapped potential. Working alongside a team of mechanically minded mentors at Bendix, Grey found his calling and his “happy place”.

He spends countless hours at the Academy, learning toolmanship skills and forming relationships with adults who grow his confidence, foster his interests, and build a skillset he’d never have been able to acquire anywhere else.

This incredible, unique program took Grey to the next level, helping him unearth a passion for mechanical ingenuity. Through positive reinforcement for all he was learning, he was given a space to build on his natural interest, his innate curiosity, and God-given talents. He’s becoming fluent in the art of trade skills and has laid a launching pad for his self-starting curiosity, self-confidence, and his future.

In just three short months, I went from seeing my son enter middle school feeling isolated, shunned, and outcast and transform into to a young man full of passion and maturity. Today as a high schooler, he thrives in social settings and is confident in his interactions.

Grey has come so very far because of his experiences at Bendix Academy. And for that, I am grateful beyond words.

– Genessa Lane Claeys, Grey’s mother

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Meet Zelie

by bendixacademy | Jul 12, 2021 | meet

I go to Kensington Woods High School, a small charter school in Lakeland, Michigan. I love school, but at Kensington, we don’t have many of classes other schools have, including shop class.

I first heard about Bendix Academy from a school counselor. I was curious, so I went to their workshop for a tour. The next think I knew I was learning to properly use a saw then design things in CAD!

Even if my school did have shop class, it wouldn’t be anything like Bendix. I also don’t have grandfathers who mentored me or anyone at home to take me to the garage and teach me how to take apart an engine, fix my bike, or do electrical work.

Today I am part of Bendix Academy and I am learning all these things – things no other kids learn at my school. Things like how to run a hydraulic press, lay a welding bead, and fabricate airplane wings.

I’m able to participate at Bendix thanks to a scholarship. I’m from a big family – the middle of seven kids – and sometimes money is limited. Scholarship support from generous people have allowed me to attend, learn, and expand my horizons.

Bendix is giving me an equal standing in a male dominated arena and is giving me a foundation that will empower me to rise to the top in my field. I am expanding my horizons because of people who donate and make my participation here possible.

Bendix changed my life. Without Bendix, it would have never occurred to me to pursue a career in manufacturing. And the financial support provided made my education here possible. Support Bendix and you’ll support untapping young talent and potential and help empower more teens like me find their futures!

– Zelie, Bendix student

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Todd Trainor

by bendixacademy | Jul 8, 2021 | our team, staff

Todd Trainor

Executive Director

Born and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan, Todd was mentored by his father while restoring antique aircraft and fixing things around the house.

Todd retired early from a career in information technology to become the Director & Creator of the Warbirds of Glory Museum’s Toolmanship Mentoring program, following a passion for youth development borne from his time spent working with his father. The program was extremely popular with mentors and students, and after three years the program separated from the Museum to become an independent nonprofit.

Today Todd serves at the Executive Director at Bendix Academy where he is devoted to expanding opportunities to further the program’s reach to benefit the youth, industries, and mechanically-minded professionals and retirees in east Michigan.

Todd graduated from Michigan State University in Computer Science and enjoyed his career as a programmer and senior project manager in the IT industry including 10 years at Dow Chemical and 22 years at Hewlett Packard. During this time, he also started and operated several small businesses, including 13 years with The UPS Store. Additionally, Todd founded the Aeronca Aircraft History Museum in 2010 and is co-founder of the Warbirds of Glory Museum. He also served as project manager for the 2013 recovery of WWII B-25J Sandbar Mitchell from a remote crash site in Alaska.

Todd attends St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Brighton with his wife, Anna, and when vacationing they both enjoy visiting Catholic churches throughout the States.

Rodney Beckwith III

by bendixacademy | Jul 7, 2021 | board members, our team

Rodney Beckwith III

Board Member

Growing up on a farm in Niles, Michigan, Mr. Beckwith earned his mechanical abilities very early in life. These abilities served him well early on, helping him achieve the Eagle Rank in Scouting when he was only 16 years old.

Mr. Beckwith attended Jackson Community College and Lawrence Institute of Technology where he majored in Mechanical Engineering, with studies in Metallurgical and Electrical.

On June 27, 1964, he married Georgia Bruiuing. He interviewed at Ford Motor Company the following Tuesday, and was hired the day after Labor Day. He retired from Ford in 1997 after a 33 year career there.

Before starting at Ford, Mr. Beckwith worked in the design of material dispensing equipment for the auto industry and electro/hydraulic systems for the military and aerospace.

In addition to serving as a Bendix mentor, Mr. Beckwith is also a leader in Scouting and teaches for the American Heart Association and Red Cross for many years. He is also a Tech Inspector for auto racing including Formula SAE and teaches metal fabrication for race cars and airplanes. Not one to rest idly in retirement, he also serves as Health Officer and Aquatics Director for Scout camps.

Mr. Beckwith was involved in the design and implementation of the first Toolmanship Mentoring program in 2017. He believes deeply in bring generations together to motivate youth in constructive careers.

Anna DeMonaco

by bendixacademy | Jul 7, 2021 | board members, our team

Anna DeMonaco

Board Member

Anna grew up in Romeo, Michigan but lived in Arizona in the 1980’s. While in the southwest, she became a Certified Foster Parent and adopted two siblings, aged four and six from the State of Arizona Foster Care System. The experience taught her many valuable lessons, especially the importance of faith, family, and relationship. Most importantly, she says, was the value of personal relationships with young people – the avenue needed to offer care, guidance, and education to them, especially youth coming from difficult situations.

Anna began her career in the hospitality management while in Arizona. Returning to Michigan, she changed careers and recently retired from 32 years in information technology and network management, with many of those years in the manufacturing industry. Most of Anna’s career was spent building successful startup organizations, where creating processes and procedures and breaking new ground was part of the job. Simultaneously, he she was the manager of multiple startup UPS Store franchises in 1994 and was treasurer of several nonprofit startups.

Anna graduated from Ferris State College with a degree in Accounting and from Saginaw Valley State University with a degree in Information Systems. She enjoys quilting, studying, creating Sacred Art, gardening, and baking.

Her caring nature and previous experience with disadvantaged youth, startup organizations, nonprofits, and in information technology make her a valuable member of the Bendix Academy board.

G1NBC Livingston County News Interview

by bendixacademy | Jun 25, 2021 | news

Bendix Executive Director Todd Trainor discusses the Academy’s toolmanship program with G1NBC broadcaster, Joseph Allen Malik, of Livingston County news.

We’re Building More Than a Shed, We’re Building Skills for Life!

by bendixacademy | Oct 15, 2020 | Front Page, Newsletter, Vol2 No1 2026 Spring

Bendix Academy’s First Student-Built Shed Project

Real tools. Real construction. Real learning. And an opportunity for our community to help build the next generation.

What if a simple storage shed could teach a young person how to read construction drawings, measure and cut lumber, frame walls, understand roof construction, solve problems, and discover the pride of building something with their own hands?

That’s exactly what we’re planning at Bendix Academy!

We’re launching our first Student-Built Shed Project, inviting young people ages 12 and older to learn the fundamentals of residential carpentry through the construction of an approximately 8′ × 10′ storage building. But this won’t be an ordinary shed.

We’re building it using the techniques and materials of residential home construction—because the real purpose isn’t to build a shed. It’s to build knowledge, confidence, craftsmanship, and mechanical self-reliance. And we’re inviting our community to help make it happen!

A Great Idea, Inspired by a Great Mentor

8x10 blue white shed vinyl siding gate hinges

Like so many good ideas at Bendix Academy, this one started with a mentor who saw an opportunity to teach something valuable.

Download PDF brochure!

One of our volunteer mentors, Mr. Beckwith, has participated in mission trips where young people help build sheds for others. Watching those students work, he saw firsthand just how much they were learning about carpentry, about teamwork, patience, problem-solving, and the satisfaction of completing something useful.

He realized that the experience could be a perfect fit for Bendix Academy’s Toolmanship Mentoring program. Why not give our own students the opportunity to learn residential construction by actually building a small structure? And voilà! Our Student-Built Shed Project was born.

A Small Building With Big Lessons

There’s a world of difference between assembling a prefabricated shed kit and learning how a building is constructed.

Rather than taking shortcuts to produce a building as quickly as possible, we’re approaching this project as an introduction to residential construction.

Students will help build a real structure, with a framed floor, walls, roof, doors, window, siding, and weather protection. We’ll use house-grade materials and recognizable residential building practices to help them understand not just how a building is assembled, but why it’s built that way.

Working alongside experienced volunteer mentors, students will have opportunities to explore the principles behind quality construction while gaining experience with tools, materials, and techniques used in the building trades.

Our goal is a well-built storage shed—and students who understand what makes it well built.

What Does It Take to Build a Shed?
More Than You Might Think!

Every stage of construction offers another opportunity for students to learn something useful.

Depending on their experience, interests, and the stage of the project, students may explore:

Planning, Measuring & Problem-Solving

Reading plans, elevations, and basic construction drawings.
Understanding dimensions, scale, and layout.
Using tape measures, squares, levels, and other measuring tools.
Applying fractions, geometry, and practical math.
Planning construction sequences and estimating materials.
Recognizing mistakes and figuring out how to correct them.

Tools, Materials & Safety

Identifying different types and grades of lumber.
Selecting appropriate hand tools, power tools, and fasteners.
Learning safe tool handling and proper personal protective equipment.
Understanding how different materials are used in construction.
Practicing careful, accurate cutting, drilling, fastening, and assembly.

Framing & Structural Construction

Learning how a floor system is built and supported.
Measuring, cutting, and assembling wall framing.
Understanding studs, plates, headers, and framed openings.
Learning how walls are aligned, squared, and secured.
Exploring roof trusses and how they carry loads.
Understanding why construction methods and building standards matter.

Weatherproofing & Exterior Finishing

Installing sheathing and understanding its structural purpose.
Learning how housewrap and other weather barriers protect a building.
Understanding roof underlayment, flashing, and shingles.
Exploring window and door installation.
Learning how siding, soffits, and trim protect and finish a structure.
Discovering why proper water management matters in residential construction.

Skills That Go Far Beyond Carpentry

Working cooperatively and communicating clearly.
Developing patience, precision, and attention to detail.
Thinking critically when something doesn’t fit or go as planned.
Understanding the importance of quality workmanship.
Building confidence through meaningful accomplishments.
Exploring careers in carpentry, construction, engineering, and related skilled trades.

Not every student will participate in every stage.

Our mentors will match activities to each student’s ability, experience, and readiness, making every lesson a meaningful opportunity to learn.

Some students may discover a future career.

Others may someday repair their own homes, tackle a do-it-yourself project, or simply understand how the buildings around them are constructed.

That’s what Toolmanship Mentoring is all about:

Giving young people skills they can use for a lifetime!

We are so grateful to our Sponsors!

Thank you McCotter Architecture and Design for Design Services!

Brighton, MI (734) 216-7768
mccotterarchitecture.com

Thank you Allwood Building Components for Shed Trusses!

Richmond, MI 586-749-3500
allwoodbc.com

Our Community Is Already Helping Us Build!

We’re delighted to share that the roof trusses for our first shed have already been donated!

This generous contribution represents an important step toward completing our first building, and we’re grateful for the support that has already helped launch the project.

Now we’re inviting other community businesses, organizations, and individuals to join in.

We have a complete building to construct, and every component offers another opportunity for a student to learn.

Imagine knowing that the lumber, siding, window, or roofing materials your business donated became part of a young person’s first real construction experience!

Help Us Build It! Become a Project Sponsor or Industry Partner.

We’re looking for community supporters who share our belief that young people need opportunities to learn how things work, develop useful skills, and discover what they’re capable of accomplishing.

There are several ways to help, and contributions of any size are welcome.

Donate Building Materials

Building suppliers, hardware stores, lumberyards, manufacturers, contractors, and individuals may be able to provide materials needed for construction.

Our wish list includes:

Pressure-treated lumber and framing lumber.
Plywood, subflooring, and structural sheathing.
Roofing shingles, underlayment, and flashing materials.
Housewrap and other weatherproofing products.
Exterior siding, soffits, trim, and related accessories.
Windows and exterior doors.
Nails, screws, adhesives, and other construction fasteners.
Other materials and supplies needed to complete the project.

Roof trusses have already been generously donated!

Donated materials should meet project specifications so our students can learn using appropriate residential construction products. We’ll be happy to discuss which materials are most useful as the project progresses.

Make a Financial Contribution

You don’t need to be in the building industry to help build something meaningful!

Financial contributions of any size will help purchase materials and supplies that haven’t been donated, obtain needed professional services, and support the instructional activities surrounding the project.

Whether you can give $50, $100, $250, $500, or another amount, your gift will help turn this idea into a real learning experience.

Contribute Professional Expertise or Services

We’re also seeking assistance from professionals who can share their knowledge and help ensure that our students learn sound residential construction practices.

Opportunities may include architectural and construction drawings, engineering guidance, material estimating, technical review, construction consultation, and related services.

Experienced building professionals can offer something especially valuable: the knowledge and judgment that come from years of working in the field.

Let Us Recognize Your Generosity!

We’re proud of our community partners, and we’d love to recognize the businesses and individuals who make this project possible.

Sponsors and Industry Partners will have the option of receiving public recognition, which may include:

Business names or logos displayed on a project sponsorship sign alongside the shed during construction and public presentation.
Recognition on Bendix Academy’s website.
Acknowledgment in project updates and community communications.
Recognition when the completed shed is presented to the community.
An opportunity to be included on a permanent recognition plaque, subject to final arrangements with the shed’s purchaser.

Participation and recognition opportunities can be tailored to each sponsor’s interests and contributions.

Whether you donate money, materials, or professional services, we’ll be grateful for your support.

When the Shed Is Finished, Its Impact Will Continue!

One of the most exciting aspects of this project is what happens after the last nail is driven and the final piece of trim is installed.

We plan to offer the completed shed to the community through a public charity auction, with the highest qualified bidder purchasing a useful, carefully constructed storage building.

Proceeds from the sale will support Bendix Academy’s Toolmanship Mentoring program, helping us provide more young people with hands-on opportunities to learn, explore, and develop practical skills.

That means the project can make a difference twice:

First, donated materials, financial contributions, and professional expertise will provide a hands-on learning experience for our students.

Then, proceeds from the finished shed will help Bendix Academy continue preparing young people for a lifetime of mechanical self-reliance.

The finished building will be a source of pride for our students, their mentors, and everyone in the community who helped make it possible.

Auction details, including bidding procedures, timing, and pickup arrangements, will be announced when the project is nearing completion.