The Washington Post – Michael Alison Chandler
“The challenge for a group of kindergartners Saturday morning was not just to keep from eating the marshmallows set in front of them but to turn them, along with a pile of straws, into the tallest tower they could build. The children at Cedar Tree Academy in the District set to work. As their hands got stickier, their towers rose and fell. Nearby, professional engineers and scientists offered advice about structure and support. Finally time was up, and the measuring tape came out. One sturdy structure with four walls that measured 11.5 inches drew applause, while its builder, 4-year old Kaelyn Burke, beamed. So did her mother, Ladeja Burke. “She always likes to explore and watch videos about how to make things,” she said. The activity was part of a “make-a-thon,” designed to encourage the students, all African Americans attending school in a poor neighborhood east of the Anacostia River, to focus their talents as they grow older on building bridges, towers and gadgets.”(more)