LHS Builds A New Partnership With RI Home Show

By Katherine Kilsey
Lion’s Roar Staff

For the thousands of people who attend, the Rhode Island Home Show is a beacon of inspiration
for home builders, homeowners, and families. Yet there is more to the massive exhibition than bricks and
mortar. For students in Career and Tech Ed (CTE) programs, it’s also about learning, dreaming,
designing, and building, watching as something that starts with a bit of imagination turns into a
remarkable achievement. This year, among the many participating, are the students of Lincoln High
School.
March 30 marked the start of the 73rd Annual event. The show is the largest and longest-running
display of its kind in New England and features hundreds of home-related exhibitors. This year, Lincoln
High School created a unique project to display at the show. The school was asked to create a physical
product for the garden exhibit, and ultimately decided on a staircase.
Nestled in the corner of the garden exhibit laid the wooden staircase, wrapped in moss and
complete with bright rainbow lights. Ceramic garden gnomes sat on the steps, and the trees and flowers
surrounding the structure added to its woodland atmosphere. In front of the staircase sat a small wooden
sign engraved with the words “Lincoln High School” and a lion, showing the pride LHS took in this
endeavor.
Mr. Robert Gervais, the Design and Engineering teacher at LHS, explained that the process of
making the project was very meaningful to students. “The best way to get the students interested in what
they're doing is to give them a real-world experience,” he said. “It’s to incorporate things like that right
into their learning.” His classes had just finished learning about design features such as rise and run, and
the experience of designing a large product allowed students to apply their learning to an intricate project.
The project allowed many different groups of students at LHS to collaborate on a real-life
experience. Mr. Gervais compares the situation to one in the business world, where ideas are passed along
through various sets of people. It started with the design and engineering classes, who created an original
sketch and planned out the dimensions. They then sent it off to the construction and technology class, who
constructed the physical staircase out of wood planks. Finally, the art classes finalized the project by
adding their creative touch and creating the dragon on top to tie the fantasy theme together. The
journalism classes also played a significant role, taking plenty of photos and videos to cover all aspects of
the project as well as reporting on the Home Show. The main component of the staircase is around six feet
tall and incorporates stairs with depths of around eight and a half inches, and it is strong enough to
support humans walking on it.
LHS students have also found the staircase project beneficial for their learning. Ryan Rodrigues, a
senior in the Design and Engineering CTE program, expresses why he and fellow senior John Crohan got
involved: “Since we’re both in the Design and Engineering CTE, this was a great opportunity for us to get
our foot in the door and see what it’s like to be engineering out in the real world.” The two expressed their
gratitude for Mr. Gervais connecting LHS with outside projects for students to work on, such as the Home
and Garden Show.
 This year, the Home Show featured a specialty flower show, a garden exhibit, Inspiration
Showcase, and Energy Expo. Lincoln’s expertly crafted fantasy staircase was incredibly well received by
the public, and teachers and students alike are eager to participate again next year.