May 17, 2024
Partnership hosts design exploration workshop at Boston Children’s Museum
Estefany Benitez
On April 20, 2024, the Sasaki Foundation and YouthBuild Boston collaborated with Boston Children’s Museum on a youth design exploration workshop. This event introduced high school students to design while providing the museum with youth feedback on what a reimagined Construction Zone exhibit could look like.
The Boston Children’s Museum envisions Construction Zone 2.0 being a space that encourages children to “Dream, Design, and Build” while providing representation from all the different construction careers. YouthBuild Boston gave the high school students a lesson about the construction process to help them understand the steps. Students then started brainstorming ideas on how to adapt those steps to child-friendly activities.
Sketching session at a Boston Children’s Museum design education event on April 20, 2024
Students and mentors discuss ideas in front of the Construction Zone exhibit model
Mentors from the Boston Society for Architecture, Wolfworks, STUDIO ENÉE, STA Design, WSP, Robert Olson + Associates Architects, ARUP, Commodore Builders, CannonDesign, Eponymous Practice, Margulies Perruzzi, Zephyr Architects, and the Boston Planning and Development Agency came together to assist the youth in thinking of what activities would best engage children in the construction process.
It was impressive what the students were able to imagine in only a few hours! Their ideas ranged from touch walls where children could feel all textures of different materials, to an excavator area, dress-up stations, tool stations, and building activities. The museum was thrilled to see the creativity and ingenious ideas the students were able to model and were excited to have received such a good amount of feedback.
Model of student ideas for the Boston Children’s Museum Construction Zone 2.0 exhibit
It was incredibly rewarding introducing youth to design while at the same time envisioning the future of the Construction Zone through a youth perspective. The Sasaki Foundation is thankful for the impactful collaboration between our organizations, and we look forward to continuing our partnerships this summer.