Most classrooms have desks, whiteboards and textbooks. But one new Saint Paul Public Schools classroom has excavators, loaders and piles of dirt.

The district's new Sandbox Classroom opened in May, giving seniors hands-on experience operating heavy equipment through a partnership with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49. School leaders say it is the first program of its kind in the Twin Cities, creating a direct pathway from high school into construction and operating engineer careers.

Dusty Thune teaches the class for Saint Paul Public Schools and spoke with MPR News host Nina Moini about it.