St. James Catholic School students take part in Block Kids Building Competition

St. James Catholic School fifth and sixth graders competed in the Block Kids Building Competition this morning.

The competition originated in the 80s on the Gulf Coast, introducing children to the construction industry by creating awareness and promoting future careers.

Each student was given a build kit, including a rock, blocks, string, and aluminum foil to construct their own project.

The National Association of Women in Construction hosted and judged the students’ projects alongside other local construction leaders.  Sixth grader Addison Hightower said, “I feel like I know more about construction and understand how challenging it is for them to do their job. I like trying to make the structure work and making it stable.”

St. James Assistant Principal Tricia Harvey said, “Think back to when you were trying to decide what to do in your younger years and this just gives them a broader scope of what’s available in a certain field.”

The St. James students with the best design will advance to the Block Kids Regional Competition.