Since taking the post as Rhode Island’s Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education for Rhode Island, Deborah Gist has embarked on a tour of every school district in Rhode Island. On Oct. 22, she spent several hours at the New England Laborers’ and Cranston Public Schools Construction Career Academy, a public charter high school on Pontiac Avenue in Cranston.

NEL/CPS, which readies students for careers in construction trades, boasts of their hands-on education approach that is supplemented by real work experience.

“I saw a number of things that are being done really well here, such as making learning relevant and having a small learning environment,” Gist said.

The Commissioner arrived mid-morning and was given a brief history of the school by Michael Traficante, who serves as chairperson of the Board of Directors, and Dr. Michael Silvia, the school’s executive director. After watching an informational DVD about the school, she was ready for her tour.

Tenth grade student ambassadors Carmine Imbriglio, Mercedes Douglas, and Chris Sullivan served as her guide.

Gist met with several parents along the way, including Nancy Crosby. Crosby has a son, Ethan, who is currently a junior at the school and another son, Matthew, who is a graduate of the school. Crosby told Gist about the struggles her sons had before attending NEL/CPS and how she did not think they would be successful in a traditional classroom.

Gist also met with Robert Casale. His son Joseph graduated two years ago as Student of the Year, and his daughter Stephanie is currently a sophomore at the school. Casale shared with Gist how NEL/CPS was a wonderful experience for both.

Gist next met with Marilyn Coppola and Carol Corcelli, both of whom work in the academy’s World of Work (WOW) program. The WOW program has received state and national recognition and successfully places students in jobs during the school day. It also prepares them for resume writing, phone and in-person interviewing and financial literacy.

During her tour, the commissioner paid a visit to the simulation building; a separate facility built by students at the academy that houses on-site construction projects. Students participate in bridge building, excavation, demolition, shed construction, the setup of underground utilities and more.

“So what’s going on here?” she would ask as she walked, with teachers Mike Perrotta and Raymond Johnson describing the projects.

Moving back inside to the main building, Gist visited several classes including a tenth grade computer aided drafting (CAD) class, taught by David Regine, where she sat down with student Gian Mattiello. She spoke at length with him about a house design he was working on for his project. When Mattiello told Gist that his first floor plan didn’t save properly and he had to start all over again, Gist commiserated with him, saying, “Oh, I hate it when that happens.”

Mattiello proudly explained how the program worked to showed her his plan, which included a pool table, indoor pool and large master suite.

“So you have the best house in America,” Gist joked.

She also visited economics, social studies and math classes.

Near the end of her visit, Gist toured two of the Alternate Education Programs (AEP) that take place at NEL/CPS. First, she saw an adult GED class in action, where students were pretending to divide and determining whether or not it’s better to have seven-eighths of a cake or eight-ninths of a cake.

“It all depends on if you like cake,” Gist said, laughing.

The second AEP Gist visited, which was of particular interest to her, was Project LIFT, a virtual learning credit recovery program where students take classes online in order to make up credits that are lacking or to get ahead. The students are able to work at their own pace and get help from the instructor present in the room or from the teachers of the subject they are studying, if needed. Gist is a proponent of virtual learning and sat down with several students as they logged on and showed her what they were working on.

Wrapping up her tour, she said she was impressed with the work being done at NEL/CPS.

“I had a great visit,” she said. “I enjoyed seeing students with the opportunity to apply their learning.”

Gist also said that she asks students in each district she visits what makes a great teacher or a great class. She finds that the answers are similar all over the state, no matter what the age level.

“Make learning relevant and interesting,” she said. “Apply learning to the students’ lives and do whatever it takes to help them be successful. I saw evidence of that today.”