{"id":164114,"date":"2026-06-02T17:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T22:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/?p=164114"},"modified":"2026-06-03T14:11:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T19:11:41","slug":"culture-makers-nealita-nelson-is-building-community-one-lego-brick-at-a-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milwaukeenns.org\/2026\/06\/02\/culture-makers-nealita-nelson-is-building-community-one-lego-brick-at-a-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Nealita Nelson is building community one Lego brick at a time","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Inside a classroom at Milwaukee Marshall High School, the sound of Lego bricks clicking together filled the room as children leaned over tables covered with colorful pieces and half-finished builds.<\/p>\n\n\n

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As they pieced together their creations, Nealita Nelson, the instructor behind the popular Milwaukee Recreation Lego classes, moved from desk to desk encouraging students to keep building.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nelson, a Milwaukee native known online as \u201cBuilds by Nene,\u201d began teaching Lego-building classes through MKE Rec after appearing on Season 4 of Fox\u2019s \u201cLEGO Masters\u201d in 2023 alongside her brother, Paul Wellington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Lego minifigure head sits on a table with several containers of bricks before Nealita Nelson\u2019s MKE Rec class.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jeff McAvoy, whose 7-year-old son has been attending Nelson\u2019s classes since they began two years ago, expressed his admiration for her teaching style. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt comes down to a simple shared interest in Lego and building, but she approaches it with such care and interest in what each of the kids are doing,\u201d McAvoy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nealita Nelson sets down containers full of Lego bricks while setting up for her MKE Rec class.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A container full of Lego bricks sits on a table.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Several Lego bags and a box of blocks sit on a counter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nelson\u2019s classes are typically divided by age groups, welcoming everyone from young children to adult builders:<\/p>\n\n\n\n