At the March Special Council Presentation Ceremony, Councilwoman Erica G. Ávila recognized a local Homestead student who won first place for her invention of a solar panel service station. This innovative idea was created by student, Anaias Burrowes, for the Block Kids Competition. The competition sponsored by the National Association of Women in Construction was held at the Airbase K-8 Center.
“I wanted to recognize someone who thought of a very unique idea. We have a young lady here who thought of a solar panel service station at school,” remarked Councilwoman Ávila.
Miss Anaias, along with her parents, was called up to the dais where she received a Certificate of Achievement as well as a framed copy of the article published about her invention. Councilwoman Ávila wanted to recognize Miss Anaias for her out of the box thinking and congratulate her for earning first place at the Block Kids competition.
Block Kids is a building block competition, sponsored by the National Association of Women in Construction. Students are tasked with creating an invention that is useful for their community. Participants have a total of one hour to develop the concept, plan, and build the model all while explaining to the judges how it is useful. They are encouraged to tap into their imagination while using blocks as well as three additional raw materials to make their invention come to life.
The National Association of Women in Construction is a group dedicated to career growth and the development of women in construction. It was originally founded in Texas, over 65 years ago, and throughout time has expanded to programs all over the country and internationally. The organization empowers women and offers job opportunities to its members to advance their career. They also focus on education of the variety of career opportunities through grassroot programs that educate and inspire young boys and girls to learn about the opportunities in the construction industry.