CAREER AWARENESS
Through interaction with architects, engineers and people in construction trades, students are exposed to career paths they may not have considered. They see the impact they could make in these careers and learn about the educational requirements to get there.
The program was a hit, earning support from teachers, students and their families, as well as local officials and national experts in education. “KidsBuild! is an innovative way to introduce city students to meaningful careers in architecture and construction and also to teach them to be proud of their schools,” said New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr. in 2008.
KidsBuild! Today
Following the Edgewood School experience, KidsBuild! was introduced in eight Connecticut public schools designed by Svigals + Partners, including Columbus Family Academy in New Haven, the Discovery Magnet School in Bridgeport, Jonathan E. Reed School in Waterbury and the new Sandy Hook School in Newtown.
Students from pre-K through seniors in high school in very diverse communities have participated in KidsBuild! programs for magnet schools, arts-based education, early childhood schools and LEED-certified green-building projects. It continues today and is being emulated in other places, too.
KidsBuild! was a central element of the community gathering together to create the new Sandy Hook School, recalls Jay Brotman, AIA, managing principal of Svigals + Partners. The firm’s active and inclusive engagement process was initiated through several town institutions and held in multiple forums with officials, governing boards, neighborhood groups, parents, teachers and school administrators. Public brainstorming about the design took place in a series of workshops with engaging activities, resulting in specific ideas for the architectural expression, school layout and even safety features. All ages joined in as the project team employed the KidsBuild! Educational Workshops to teach about the design and construction and to help students create new artwork for their own school.
About a year before, the KidsBuild! program was particularly complementary to the creation of a unique “maker campus” STEM school for New Haven, the Engineering and Science University Magnet School (ESUMS), for grades six through 12. The approach comprised nine workshops over four years engaging about 35 students from various grades each year. Developed with ESUMS Principal Medria Blue-Ellis and two teachers, the workshops delved into the architectural design process and specific elements of building engineering, such as cantilevers and sustainability. It also covered ways to integrate art into the new building and how the adjacent wetlands might affect engineering decisions and construction logistics. A number of hands-on activities supported these lessons, such as sketching artwork ideas, building model structures and using surveying equipment.
The KidsBuild! workshops for ESUMS also emphasized what students were learning in their classrooms. Site visits led by design team members can be exciting and fun for students because they inspect and track the construction process. Students learned about groundwater flow, structural engineering, mechanical systems and construction sequences. After a visit to the architecture office, one 11th-grade student said: “After my visit to Svigals + Partners, I was able to understand the amount of work that goes into building our new school. I am more aware of what the future of ESUMS is going to look like and it makes me proud to be part of the process.” Several students in KidsBuild! said they were motivated to look into architecture, engineering and construction as possible careers. In fact, Svigals + Partners knows of some students who went into the AEC profession. One actually returned to each KidsBuild! session after graduation to see the final building construction unfold.
“The students and adults alike really appreciated these opportunities created through KidsBuild!,” notes Hunter Smith, an ESUMS teacher of math, engineering and science. “We were able to follow along with the project team’s work and get exposed to the deep pools of knowledge that each company and each individual brings to the project.”
KidsBuild! also draws on another limitless resource: the creativity and curiosity that naturally comes to children. Our students across the nation deserve more opportunities to tap into their imagination and explore new ideas that occur around them. Yet with today’s rigorous curriculum and endless afterschool activities, it’s important to make time for even greater enrichment. While the KidsBuild! programs might have influenced a few children to consider future careers in the great big world of building, it definitely captivated the interest and imagination of all who participated.
PHOTOS: courtesy Svigals + Partners