Building A Bright Future

Students were busy assembling crank-powered rollercoasters and air turbines for smiling Lego figures. Lego pieces of all colors, shapes, and sizes were on standby, ready to be plucked, stacked, and plopped onto base tiles for display. These were the students that had attended the Hub City Robotics Club at SSC, summer camps involving Lego engineering and just a true love of constructing with Legos.

 On March 18, 17 teams of students ages six to 10 bustled about the John F. Green Spartanburg Science Center learning about energy, from its generation to consumption. These teams were made up of after-school groups all over Spartanburg County and some Boys Scout troops. These teams took on the challenge of First Lego League Explorer Division annual challenge of creating a community using at least three types of energy. After building the three required sources of energy, they personalized their community with other uses or newer types of energy.

 Since 2015, the Science Center has hosted the Lego Robotics Expo to bring students together to co-create solutions with real-world applications using Lego sets. The Expo challenges students to creatively develop solutions for several prompts related to this year’s theme, Energy.

 Mary Levens, the Center’s executive director, noted that appreciating others’ ideas and designs are skills that do not come naturally to young students, as “delete” or “reset” options make it too easy to start completely over than problem solve a new way to success. Lego Challenges help students develop problem-solving skills and an appreciation for teamwork.

 “For many students, the process is frustrating at first,” Levens said. “It’s incredible to see how the students comfort one another and pivot to problem solving. It’s a critical skill, and one that is difficult to teach.”  

 For the last 45 years, the Center has championed science education and enrichment for students and their families throughout Spartanburg County. The Center excites patrons of all ages with its innovative programming, lectures, and hands-on exhibits. 

 But of all the programming, the Lego Robotics Expo is the most popular at Milliken.

 This year, Milliken purchased two Lego kits to be built for the Expo, one of which will be installed at the Roger Milliken Center’s Innovation Gallery as a display of Milliken’s connection to innovation. Mary Mason, a Milliken associate and Spartanburg Science Center board member, was proud of the collaboration between the Science Center and Milliken. 

 “The Expo was a huge success,” Mason said. “I am proud to be an employee of Milliken; our company cares about our community and the youth that will impact our future. The installation is illustrative of Milliken’s dedication to our community and our youth.”

 The installation is a testament to Milliken’s corporate values and its valued customers, as the chemical division has a line of colorants specifically for children’s toys. The installation is a colorful reminder of the joy that Milliken innovation brings to households around the world. 

A growing impact

Milliken’s relationship with the Science Center goes beyond its contributions to this year’s Lego Expo. 

While most corporate giving programs came to a screeching halt in March 2020, the newly re-established Milliken Charitable Foundation awarded a three-year grant to help expand the Science Center. Since the expansion, the new Milliken Learning Center has welcomed larger and more frequent programming as interest in the Science Center continues to grow. Levens said that the space is enjoyed by several local groups who have nowhere else to meet. 

“We’re so grateful to Milliken for its continued generosity,” Levens said. “This space is one we share with the whole community.”

To learn more about the Milliken & Company Charitable Foundation, click here.