Program News 2010
Lego Day 2010
Brooklyn wasn't built in a day, but some miniature depictions of it were at our Red Hook Community Center Beacon's LEGO Day on Saturday, March 13th. Though it poured rain in the city, landmarks such as the clock tower and Brooklyn Borough Hall remained dry in the Beacon's gym. Under the guidance of architect, Mario Arbore, who spearheaded the first LEGO Day several years ago and several of his colleagues within the fields of architecture and design, over 50 Beacon youth worked alongside the volunteers in small groups to create LEGO versions of the following structures: Nets Stadium; the Atlantic Center; the Brooklyn Museum; the Williamsburgh Savings Bank clock tower; the Brooklyn Bridge; Brooklyn Borough Hall; and JFK airport, straddling the Brooklyn/Queens border.
The event was well-attended despite the weather, which is a testament to how beloved this day is among Beacon youth. Donovan, an LIT (Leader-in-Training) in the Beacon's Pathways to Leadership Program, and a budding photographer, was happy to come and excited about taking pictures of the day. He intended to show the fruits of his labor to his high school classmates. "I feel proud. I'm going to take pictures and show everyone in my school what I did," he says. Indeed there is much to be proud of: it is truly amazing to see the structures evolve over the course of essentially three hours. Hundreds of pieces of brightly colored LEGOs connect and take shape. Paint, beans, cotton balls, pipe cleaners, beads and pom-poms complete the scene by becoming roads, trees, flowers, clouds, and water. Beacon attendee, Lenny, summarized the day best, "Well, this is really fun, but we'd never get this done without a team. Teamwork is important."
Special thanks for such a special day goes to Beacon staff for all of their advance prep work to ensure the event's success. And, of course, to Mario Arbore and his colleagues and friends who so graciously devoted a Saturday to our youth and shared their expertise with them. This event underscores the Beacon's desire to tap into youth's imagination and creativity and build upon it. It is the promise of unlocking this creative potential that keeps Mario returning year after year. "I get the joy of seeing them create something. The joy is lit up in them. There is the sense that something else is possible for them; we are opening up their minds," he says.
March 22, 2010
