Eastern Pulaski Elementary School is using Legos to build students’ social skills. The school board got an update last week on the school’s Lego Club from sponsors Christy Hileman and Amanda Kistler. The group, also called the Lego Warriors, includes kids in third, fourth, and fifth grades.
Each week, students are divided into teams of two or three, with different partners each time. They’re then tasked with completing various STEM challenges.
Hileman said the idea for the club began when she noticed that there were some students who wanted to make friends but couldn’t figure out how. She said she spent a bout a year researching evidence-based approaches, before deciding on Legos.
The club launched last year, thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of Pulaski County. Club membership is by invitation only, based on recommendations from teachers, as to which students need help, and which are good leaders who can help others. The team sponsors reported that the students are showing progress with their social skills and creating friendships that last beyond the club.
