After two summers of hard work, the kids at Leonardo’s Basement in Minneapolis have made a significant milestone for one of their largest creations: a Death Star.

The replica structure, measuring close to 25 feet tall, has been the project of students since 2023 during Leonardo’s Basement’s summer classes/workshops. Now, the kids are working to complete the top part of the structure, which features a donated satellite dish from KSTP.

In fact, the structure was created using donated pieces from across the community. It also serves as an area for kids to play outside and inside.

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

“I take credit for 0% of the build on this,” Nielsen said when pointing to the Death Star. “They have been so industrious and so engaged, I hope they feel really good about it.”

Another point of pride for Nielsen is the students’ excitement and choice to do projects like the construction of the Death Star rather than being on their phones.

“One of my biggest points of pride for our kids that we see all summer long is how infrequently I need to tell a student to put their phone away,” Nielsen said. “They are choosing this over their phone, over TikTok, over an app. This kind of work requires teamwork and cooperation and problem-solving, and they’re choosing that in the moment instead of their phones. I’m so proud of all of them.”

Leonardo’s Basement hosts a weekly, half-day summer workshop for kids and teens for 11 weeks. During this time, they take on similar projects like the Death Star. Additional details on the summer classes can be found by CLICKING HERE.