On March 28, the NEL/CPS Construction Career Academy hosted its second annual Girls’ Non-Traditional Trades Event.

The goal of the event was to provide girls the opportunity to try out professions that they may not have thought of before and might not have been exposed to.

Sponsored by the Rhode Island Commission on Women and geared towards middle and high school girls, this event was attended by 125 girls who were divided into eight groups which rotated through all of the representatives and hands-on opportunities the event offered.

Inside the main building of the charter school, the girls first had the opportunity to speak to women representing colleges, career and technical institutes, and union apprenticeship programs.

There were also several hands-on opportunities inside, such as a crane simulator, which allowed the girls to sit inside of a real crane and, using a screen in front of them, maneuver the gears on the crane to simulate the real thing. One important aspect of the day was the fact the majority of the stations the girls rotated through were run by women.

Before moving outside, the girls were able to use a Bridge Designer computer program to simulate placing beams on a bridge and were also able to learn about blueprint reading.

Once leaving the main building of NEL/CPS, the girls moved outside to the school’s own Simulation Building. While there, the girls had the chance to weld their name into a piece of metal, do carpentry and lead abatement, tap a water main and work with electrical lines.

“I didn’t expect it to be so hands-on,” said Evelyn Fontaine, a Girl Scout Leader from Coventry who was there with her Girl Scout troop. “We’re doing three badges all about women and careers, and this is a perfect way to meet a whole bunch of women.”

All of the girls attending were given hard hats, safety goggles and gloves, t-shirts and backpacks, as well as lunch.