Seats of Consciousness is a way to provide jobs for young people that includes training in basic carpentry in a well-equipped and spacious workshop, under the supervision of a patient and experienced carpenter. Because the process of building a bench requires a series of detailed steps, builders are challenged to pay strict attention to directions and to envision a clear plan. While they are learning the carpentry fundamentals that pave the way to a future in the building trades, they are also reinforcing their literacy of mathematics in a tangible way. And when the finished product is placed in the community, the builders and artists can point it out to their friends in a spirit of community ownership: "I built that."