President's Welcome
As president of IYRS School of Technology & Trades, I have the distinct pleasure of leading this remarkable school where we teach skills that range from traditional wooden boatbuilding to innovative digital design. With the hands-on, maker-focused education our students receive at IYRS, they go on to rewarding and successful careers, joining alumni who are preserving our country’s maritime heritage and changing the face of modern manufacturing.
In addition to our outstanding student body, I have the pleasure of working with faculty and staff who are exceptional at what they do, in some cases world-renowned, and who continue to enhance IYRS’s reputation as the premier marine trades and modern manufacturing school in the country. IYRS is a truly special place.
IYRS was founded in 1993 as a wooden boat restoration school. Since that time, our purpose and programs have expanded to include four additional accredited programs in Marine Systems, Composites Technology, Digital Modeling & Fabrication, and the Combined Program in Composites Technology & Marine Systems.
Since our founding, we've built new technologically advanced classrooms and workshops, created valuable community resources like the Edward W. Kane and James Gubelmann IYRS Maritime Library, and become industry-focused educational leaders. Yet today, the heart of our school remains true to its origins: to empower students through immersive, hands-on learning to realize their full potential in career and in life.
It's my honor and joy as president to get to know our students who join us from all walks of life and all points on the globe. Whether recent high school graduates, military veterans transitioning to civilian life, or career changers following their passions, countless students have enjoyed life-changing discoveries and seen newfound passions unfolding here. Our community is one that grows, learns, and improves together. Through classwork, shop time, and team-centered projects, students see hours and months of hands-on education creating tangible outcomes before their eyes.
The result of this process, time and again, is a deeply enriching sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. Many of our students choose to pursue an IYRS education because they've found that their learning or working styles don't adhere to a typical academic or office setting. This situation can cause some students to lack confidence in their abilities when they first begin, but by the time they graduate, they know they're capable of creating and building success in their lives. They know it because they've already made it happen during their time spent here.
Through mentorship from faculty, guidance from our Career Development department, and hands-on externship experience, our graduates are sure of what they can bring to the table — and future employers are too. When education and expertise meet creativity and passion, I believe there's no limit to what our students can achieve. I'm proud to say that our alumni prove it so every day through their high standards and exceptional professional reputations.
There is no better way to understand the value of the IYRS experience than by visiting our campus. I encourage you to come meet our faculty, staff, and students, and see for yourself the exciting hands-on educational programs we offer at our harborfront campus in beautiful Newport, Rhode Island. I look forward to welcoming you to IYRS.
Kern Maass, President