Creed Tremaine Nelson, Lindbergh High School, Renton School District, has been selected as the construction industry’s 2021 Career and Technical Education Teacher of the Year.
Established by Ferguson Construction in 2018, the Gene Colin Outstanding Educator Memorial Endowment, provides classroom resources to an educator who ignites students to explore careers in the construction industry.
Creed’s innovation and dedication was underscored during the 2020-2021 school year when he devised and created “at home” construction kits for students to have hands-on learning remotely. Kits contained all the necessary tools and materials for students to safely continue their construction studies from home. Over the summer, he offered an in-person “Construction Build Up” class. Students could explore construction careers while participating in a group project to build a storage shed for a local community group. The summer program was a hit with students and provided the opportunity for local construction industry members to participate as guest speakers to discuss their own construction career pathways.
Creed has also been an invaluable resource in the development of the Core Plus Construction materials and content. He continually provides feedback, guidance, and updates about how the program is working in his classroom.
Gene Colin recognized that a good construction teacher had the ability to inspire their students to seek the rewarding career choices available in the construction industry. We believe Creed truly embodies what Gene Colin meant by an “outstanding” educator.
This article was featured in the AGC Education Foundation newsletter.