On Wednesday, June 18, the Gore Family Foundation hosted its first ‘LEGO League Basic Schools Exploration’ event at the MICO University College in St Andrew.

At the event, several students from multiple early childhood institutions were allowed to view several completed LEGO sets and Robots before getting to assemble their own LEGOs during activity segments.

The LEGO League Exploration exhibit was designed to target children within the 5 to 6 age range, and ignite within them a passion and interest for the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) Education system, a new method of teaching aimed to fully incorporate and foster creativity and artistic mindsets.

This project is part of a long-term programme being promoted by the Gore Family, with the aim of facilitating the growth of Jamaica’s youth from kindergarten to adulthood. Christine Gore, cohead of the foundation alongside her husband Phillip, explained that the LEGO Exploration was only the beginning, serving as an entry point into the wider field of mechanics.

“It’s an exploration for children about five to six years old, [and] is the stepping stone to real robotics,” Gore commented. “We have primary schools here, such as Shortwood Primary, showing off their robotic team. And then when you graduate to the high school, we have people from Jamaica College and Alpha Girls’ School. It’s a pipeline of development all the way to the tertiary level and beyond.”

Gore went on to claim that the programme promised to help children learn teamwork, leadership, and communication skills, all while having fun.

“There is nothing they enjoy more than this,” she said confidently. “But more than that, they are also teaching themselves. This is a new way of teaching. ‘Talk and Chalk’ doesn’t cut it anymore.

The Gore Family Foundation works with 10 infant and basic schools in the Corporate Area. Students from the Amy Bailey Infant School, Arnold Road Methodist Basic Scool, Chetolah Mel Nathan Education Centre, Gospel Refuge Basic School, Joy Town Learning Centre, Mission House Methodist Basic School, Sandhurst Early Childhood Development Centre, Sandy Park Basic School, St Anne’s Infant School, and Slyvia Foote Basic School were all present at the LEGO Expo.

Mrs. Gore stated that her Foundation’s work was not limited to just LEGO-Tech, but also provided other programmes, such as Speech and Drama, Yoga, Music and Tennis. She went on to say that significant quantities of time and money had been invested, promising more to follow as a sign of her family’s continued dedication to the needs of Jamaica’s children.

“We’re creating something all-rounded here,” Gore declared. “We’re so proud of this endeavour, and there is a lot more that we do. We have been working in these schools for 12 years, and we have spent $20 million a year for 10 basic schools during that entire period. So you do the math. This LEGO Exploration is the first event like this we have ever done, but more are planned. And that is the goal, bringing to all Jamaicans all the opportunities that we can.”