Legos teach building blocks of engineering careers

When Sam Parker was 3 years old, he discovered Legos, toy bricks that brought him hours of entertainment throughout his childhood.

Now a freshman biomedical engineering student at N.C. State University, Parker hopes to pursue a career in neuroprosthetics. Now children in Chapel Hill will have the opportunity to develop those same problem-solving skills.

Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation is introducing a Lego Teacher Workday Workshop in October. Catering to children ages 7 to 12, the workshop will cost $34. The Play-Well TEKnologies program will challenge participants to explore concepts in physics, engineering and architecture through problem-solving activities and allows them to explore engineering through play, just as Parker did as a child.

While he can’t say his interest in Legos directly affected his career path, Parker can see ties between his interest in Lego construction and his interest in engineering.

“I think it allowed me to have an outlet for my creativity and take thoughts and ideas that I had in my head and then turn those into something that was concrete,” Parker said.

Alex Pearce, the North Carolina area manager for Play-Well TEKnologies, said this program only uses Legos, which sets them apart from other problem-solving programs.

Instructors guide the children, but the program’s goal is to promote creative exploration.

“Our hope is to inspire the next generation of engineers,” Pearce said.

Parker’s mother, Kathy Parker, said her son’s fascination with Legos helped her to realize his ability to build and problem-solve.

“I do know this about Sam, he was always very aware of spatial relationships,” she said. “Building things — not just drawing them — but the tactile experience of building them ... and moving them around, was very important for him to understand how things are put together.”

Kathy Parker said if the program had been available when her son was young, she would have considered enrolling him.

“There’s no way that you can replace the experience of building something,” she said.

Jennifer Coffman, associate director for training and research at the Center for Developmental Science at UNC, said play can often lay the groundwork for important skills such as negotiation and problem solving.

“Children can learn both knowledge and strategies of how to approach science,” Coffman said.

While a program might introduce a child to engineering, Coffman said science exposure does not necessarily cause students to be interested in engineering as a career. And Kathy Parker said while Legos gave her son an outlet, she doesn’t know if his hobby affected his choice in major.

“Did Legos inspire that? Truly hard to know,” she said. “Did it open a door? Absolutely.”

Chapel Hill Parks and Recreation has partnered with Play-Well TEKnologies for summer and spring break camps before, but this is the first workshop intended for a teacher work day.

“I will be interested to see how it pans out,” Pearce said. “The other programs we have run have been very popular ... so I have high hopes.”

Steve Reznick, a UNC psychology professor, said exposing children to science at an early age could affect their future interest in science.

“Perhaps what this would do for these young people is show them that working with materials in a way that is fun but that is also systematic can be very productive,” he said.

The workshop will take place at the Chapel Hill Community Center on Oct. 27. Pre-registration is required.

Pearce said he hopes to create fun, educational moments.

“I see a lot of value in the exploration of instilling creativity and instilling engineering and architectural principles instead of following step-by-step instructions,” he said.

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