Hundreds of toy submarines and ships of all kinds made their way to the Ernest Everett Just Middle School in Mitchellville this Saturday. Created with fun in mind, engineers built the display using LEGO toy construction blocks.
The exhibit, some being up to five feet long, was put together by several community based organizations. This was done in an effort to spark students' interest in STEM subjects. These subjects include science, technology, engineering and math.
Carl Goode, the president of Empowering Minds Foundation Inc., a Lanham-based education-focused nonprofit that aided in the event, stated to Gazette.net, "I want kids to go to college, and I want them to explore and be able to go into STEM fields. They don't start early enough for the math and sciences."
Wilbert McKinley, one of those responsible for building the LEGO ships, grew an interest in ships at a young age. He said he began watching boats at Baltimore's Fells Point. This sparked a 15-year career in ship design for the U.S. Navy.
"I wanted to give kids that same spark of inspiration," said McKinley to Gazette.com, who is now retired. "America's future is at stake. The future is in technology, entrepreneurship, basic research and cutting-edge technology ... and we're falling behind."
Kids as well as parents were excited about the LEGO ships and amazed by how well designed they were.
"I love them," said Chauncey Fowler, a fourth-grade student. "They look like they're real, and some of them have little planes."
Each ship was named after a female, African-American or Hispanic scientist. The idea was to encourage more women and minority involvement in STEM careers.
Parents were excited that the exhibit highlighted how women, particularly those of color, can also play an influential role in STEM fields.
Clarence Baskin said of his 13-year old son Douglas, "I want him to be exposed to the contributions of African-Americans to science and technology to have an array of ideas of possible careers."
