About CenterWorks

CenterWorks has several goals:

Create co-op work experiences that serve the programmatic needs of the majors of The Center for Turning and Furniture Design.

Nurture the Center graduates for successful career launches upon graduation, as part of a larger curriculum that focuses both artistic and entrepreneurial intentions while honoring the liberal arts sensibilities of the university's degree.

Pursue incentives that will encourage its graduates to establish companies in western Pennsylvania.

CenterWorks combines several innovative profit-generating functions:

To be the applied research and development division of the Center. It extends the concepts, designs, and material research that result from structured class experiences by providing a guided real-world sequence of design/process refinement, production, marketing, and sales.

Producing commissioned limited-production goods.

To foster the creation of individual business plans resulting from collaborations with students of IUP's Eberly College of Business and knowledgeable professionals.

To create opportunities at IUP for a select few of the very best students from other universities by providing a unique production-oriented experience that allows them to refine and produce their own designs.

To be a modern well-equipped facility that is available for periodic rental by woodworking and furniture-related shops in western Pennsylvania. It provides unique research/development and production opportunities for small shops.