50 Students Compete in NAWIC Block Kids Event Organized by Education Foundation
Fifty students in grades K-6 participated in the NAWIC (nawicomaha.com) Greater Omaha Chapter #116 virtual Block Kids event on February 20. The award-winning program, provided by the NAWIC Education Foundation (NEF), is held by NAWIC chapters across the country to introduce children to the construction industry, create awareness, and promote curiosity to learn more about careers in the construction industry as they grow. Before the event, each child was provided with 100 interlocking blocks, a small rock, string, foil, and poster board, and was given a maximum of one hour to use these materials—and their imagination—to design and build a project that was in some way related to the construction industry.
The overall winner of the 2021 Omaha contest was fifth grader Cheyanne Richardson, a student at Wheeler Elementary. She built a machine that removes trash and debris from bodies of water. The machine was crane-like and lifted debris out of the water, turned it, and sorted it on the opposite side of the crane. The judges really appreciated her creativity and ability to explain the global need for her machine. Cheyanne pointed out that she had recently learned about water pollution in school.
NAWIC Chapter #116 is based in Omaha and encompasses Omaha, Lincoln, Council Bluffs, and the surrounding areas. First chartered in 1966, the chapter has 60 members working in businesses whose primary focus is on the construction industry. Chapter meetings are on the second Thursday of each month. For more information, check nawicomaha.com or Facebook, or email nawicomaha@gmail.com. Meeting guests are always welcome.