Children build a nearly 25-foot-tall “Death Star” in Minneapolis

After two summers of hard work, the children of Leonardo’s Basement in Minneapolis have reached a significant milestone on one of their greatest creations: a Death Star.

The nearly 25-foot-tall replica of the structure has been the project of students during Leonardo’s Basement’s summer classes/workshops since 2023. Now the children are working to complete the upper portion of the structure, which includes a donated satellite dish from KSTP.

In fact, the building was constructed using donated parts from across the community. It also serves as an indoor and outdoor play area for the children.

Tracy Nielsen, co-director of Leonardo’s Basement, is proud of the children’s commitment to the project.

“I’m claiming 0% of the cost of building this,” Nielsen said, referring to the Death Star. “They’ve been so hardworking and dedicated, I hope they feel really good about it.”

Another reason Nielsen is proud is the students’ enthusiasm and their decision to participate in projects like building the Death Star rather than being glued to their cell phones.

“One of the things I’m most proud of with our kids all summer is how rarely I have to tell a student to put their phone down,” Nielsen said. “They’re choosing that over their phone, over TikTok, over an app. This type of work requires teamwork, collaboration and problem solving, and they’re choosing that over their phones right now. I’m so proud of all of them.”

Leonardo’s Basement runs a weekly half-day summer workshop for children and young people for 11 weeks. During this time they work on projects similar to the Death Star. For more information about the summer courses, visit CLICK HERE.