♻️ Modular Engineering: Upcycle Challenge + iCode Maker Mindset! 📦💻

Event: Drop-in Upcycle Challenge: Building Blocks

When: Thursday, April 16, 2026, 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Drop-in anytime!)

Where: Mercer County Library – Lawrence Headquarters Branch (2751 Brunswick Pike, Lawrenceville, NJ)

Event link: MCLS – Lawrence Branch Events Who it’s for: Kids and Teens of all ages (with a supervising adult)

Why we love it 💛 Engineering is all about turning raw materials into functional structures! The Lawrence Headquarters Branch is hosting an incredible, open-ended “Upcycle Challenge” throughout the afternoon. Kids and teens are challenged to use recycled cardboard, plastics, and paper to engineer their very own set of modular building blocks. The goal is to create pieces that can be stacked, interlocked to build cool structures, and then taken back apart. We absolutely love this challenge because it forces kids to think critically about geometry, structural integrity, and sustainable design!

How this event aligns with iCode Princeton 🌈⚙️ Building physical blocks that interlock perfectly is the exact same logic we use to build complex software!

• Modular Programming: In computer science, we don’t write one giant, messy block of code. We write small, reusable “functions” that interlock to build a massive program. Creating a modular set of physical toys helps kids understand this exact concept of “Object-Oriented Programming” before they even look at a screen!

• Prototyping & Hardware: When you build a structure out of recycled cardboard, you have to experiment with balance and different fasteners. The trial-and-error prototyping kids practice in this challenge is the exact same “Maker Mindset” we foster in our STEAM Junior and Robotics labs, teaching students how to iterate, test, and improve their physical hardware!

Join the fun—then keep the momentum going at iCode 🎒🚀 Build an upcycled masterpiece at the library, then bring that world-class creativity to iCode Princeton where we turn big ideas into real-world tech skills!

👉 Explore iCode Princeton: https://icodeschool.com/princeton-nj

🟣 Progression-based Belts (K–12): https://icodeschool.com/princeton-nj/belts/

🔍 See what’s running now: https://icodeschool.com/princeton-nj/activity-finder/

🎟️ Ready to build the future? Book a Free Trial Class: https://icodeschool.com/princeton-nj/book-a-free-trial-class/