Constructing fanciful miniature structures with a blend of imagination and education, almost 50 children gathered at Savannah’s Gould Elementary School on Saturday for the eighth-annual Block Kids Building Program Competition.
Hosted by the Coastal Georgia Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction, this lighthearted contest welcomed students from Gould and Coastal Empire Montessori to utilize identical sets of Lego blocks to build any kind of structure that they wanted within a 45-minute time period.
In addition to the Legos, the competitors could use three other items to build their mini masterpiece, with options including string, aluminum foil, and a small rock. To assist the tykes in the construction process, about 15 engineering students from Jenkins High School offered advice to help make the tiny towers, bridges, and houses structurally sound.
The resulting collection of creative constructions impressed the event organizers, including NAWIC Coastal Georgia Chapter vice-president Vickie Callaway, who believes this event helps encourage young girls to consider a career in the male-dominated fields of construction and engineering someday.
“They can be in the construction industry, and it’s not a taboo anymore, it’s fun,” Callaway said of the girls participating in Saturday’s competition, which aims to foster principles of teamwork as well. “It takes a lot of people to build a building.”
Two female members of the Savannah Young Architects Forum served as judges for the competition, with prizes including a variety of toys provided by event sponsors. The winner will go on to compete in the Southeast regional NAWIC block-building competition, leading up to the national-championship event.
For some underprivileged competitors, Saturday’s contest provided an opportunity to play with Legos for the first time, according to NAWIC Coastal Georgia Chapter president Tonya Reed. Thanks to the sponsors, every participant was given a goodie bag including a small Lego set for them to take home.
The high number of female high-school student and professional volunteers at Saturday’s competition sets an invaluable example for the participating youngsters, according to Reed.
“With the amount of young ladies that have shown up, they get an idea of how creative engineering minds start at a young age,” Reed said.