2025-26 Title1 Brain Builders Workshops

inspireaaza
Nov 14, 2025
3 min read

Dear Parents,

At PS 220, we believe learning thrives when families and schools come together. That’s why our Title I Brain Builders Series brings families into the heart of the learning experience with hands-on workshops, exciting challenges, and joyful community events. This year, our programs are bigger, brighter, and more intentional than ever — blending literacy, math, STEAM, creativity, and cultural awareness into experiences that spark curiosity for the whole family.

Below is an inside look at our latest Brain Builders programs and what families can expect next!

🎲 Family Game Night: Learning Through Play

Game Night is back — and this time, we’re leveling up! Our Brain Builders Game Night transforms literacy and math into fast-paced, high-energy games that keep families learning and laughing together. And yes… there will be food and prizes!

Math Relay

Two players race to the board, solve a math problem, and sprint back to tag the next teammate.

Quick, competitive, and perfect for building math fluency, mental math, and teamwork.

Word Matching Relay

In this fast-paced literacy challenge, a word is called aloud, and players race to the board to find the matching card. To boost comprehension, a definition or meaning may be called instead — and teams must race to match it with the correct word.

This game strengthens vocabulary, listening skills, and quick decision-making.

Wheel of Fortune: Literacy Edition

Spin the wheel → guess the letters → solve the phrase!

Families work together to decode words and phrases, building phonics, vocabulary, and strategic guessing skills.

Math Bowling

Each cup is labeled with a number, and when families roll the ball, they must add together the numbers on every cup knocked down.

Players track their totals round by round — and the highest score wins!

It’s a powerful (and fun!) way to grow addition fluency and number sense.

🧠 Why Game Night Matters

These games give families a chance to practice critical literacy and math skills in a joyful, low-pressure environment. Parents get to see how learning can be playful, social, and engaging — not just worksheets. With music, snacks, and exciting prize giveaways, Game Night becomes a highlight of our Brain Builders Series.

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🤖 Robotics Workshop: Building, Coding & Creating

Our Robotics Workshop invites families to step into the world of engineering. Together, they work on an exciting robotics project that introduces creativity, problem-solving, and hands-on STEAM learning.

Families learn about sensors, motors, and movement
Families brainstorm, test, and work together on a robotics build
One lucky family wins a special robotics prize
And of course — there will be pizza!

This workshop helps families see themselves as creators and innovators while giving students a glimpse into the future of STEAM learning.

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🎒 SHIFT Backpack Social–Emotional Learning Workshop

The SHIFT Backpack Workshop is a powerful social–emotional learning experience designed to help families understand and support emotional expression at home. Each SHIFT Backpack comes with interchangeable emotion patches that families can swap out to reflect how their child is feeling throughout the day.

During the workshop, families:

Learn about emotional awareness and regulation
Explore emotions through storytelling, discussion, and shared reflection
Practice choosing patches that match their child’s current feeling
Strengthen communication and emotional language at home with tools that help regulate meltdowns

The SHIFT Backpack gives families a simple, meaningful tool to support emotional well-being and create daily SEL routines together.

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🌍 Diversity Workshop + Digital Book Experience

In our Diversity Workshop, families dive into conversations and activities centered on identity, culture, representation, and community. This year, families took it a step further by designing their own digital book, celebrating who they are and the stories they want to share.

Families work together to:

Explore themes of identity, heritage, and belonging
Create pages that reflect their culture, interests, and family values
Learn basic digital design skills
Build a collaborative digital book that showcases the diversity within our school community

This workshop strengthens cultural awareness, fosters creativity, and gives families a meaningful keepsake they can revisit and share.

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From game nights to robotics labs, SEL experiences, cultural workshops, and parent empowerment sessions, the Brain Builders Series is becoming a powerful bridge between home and school.

Each workshop is designed to: