Bronxville Middle School Seventh Graders Explore Local History Through LEGO “Brick by Brick” Program

Bronxville Middle School seventh grade students recently participated in the Brick by Brick program, a LEGO Building Blocks workshop sponsored by the Bronxville Historical Conservancy. 
The Conservancy began the program with a short video and presentation highlighting the rich architectural and historical significance of the Village of Bronxville. Students learned about notable homes and building in their community before transitioning into a collaborative, hands-on design challenge. 
Working in teams of three, more than 100 seventh graders used LEGO bricks to build scale models of various homes and buildings throughout the village. The experience encouraged teamwork, creativity, design thinking, and problem-solving while deepening students’ understanding of the history that surrounds them. 
Stephen Schwartz, architect and founder and creator of “Building Blocks Workshops,” leads similar programs in multiple towns. “We want to teach people about the Architectural Heritage of Their Community,” said Schwartz. It can take nearly six months to research, select the buildings, photograph them, and create a giant floor map on which the LEGO model structures are placed once they are built. Participants also take home an “Architectural Treasure Hunt Map” featuring the buildings in the program, allowing them to explore and locate the actual structures throughout the community. 
This marked the ninth year the Bronxville Historical Conservancy has sponsored the Brick by Brick by Brick program and the first time it was brought directly into the school day for seventh grade students. The Conservancy partnered with the school to make local history accessible, interactive, and meaningful for all students.  
Student leaders shared that the event was an incredible success and expressed pride in the enthusiasm and engagement demonstrated by students throughout the workshop.