On June 5, fourteen teams gathered in the outdoor courtyard at Analog Devices in Beaverton for the inaugural Build It with BEF, a building competition that brought creativity, collaboration, and a little friendly competition together in support of career-connected learning for Beaverton students.
Presented by Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance, the event brought together architects, engineers, builders, and community partners from across the region, all united by a shared commitment to Beaverton schools. Over three progressive building challenges, teams worked their way through 19,000 KEVA planks, no instructions, and no connectors. Just wooden planks and a strong team bond.
Four community judges from Beaverton School District, City of Beaverton, City of Hillsboro, and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue brought their expertise from the facilities and engineering fields to evaluate each build. One judge remarked, “Due to the success of the event, I feel like it’s just going to grow.”
When the planks settled, three teams took home Build It with BEF awards:
Company Logo/Name Challenge: Analog Devices
Fill the Table Challenge: Johnson Barrow
Showstopper Challenge: Bremik Construction
Students were part of the afternoon, serving as roving design assistants on the competition floor, helping teams problem-solve in real time. The sponsor table signs and KEVA plank box nameplates were designed and manufactured by students in the Manufacturing Program at Westview High School. Students in BSD Title I elementary schools will start the next school year with a new KEVA plank sets of their own, funded by the Build It with BEF sponsors.
“This event was about more than building with planks. It was about building a community that invests in Beaverton students, and every person in attendance is part of that,” said Chris Prahl, BEF Board Chair.
Following Build It with BEF, the event focus shifted to celebrating Beaverton School District staff retiring at the end of the school year. Retirees were honored for their service by incoming Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith and Beaverton School Board Directors Sunita Garg, Dr. Van Truong, Dr. Melissa Potter, and Syed Qasim.
And, finally three community partners — Skanksa, KLA Foundation, and Vernier Science Education — were recognized for their partnership with BEF on behalf of Beaverton students at BEF second annual Leadership Awards.