Many adults can trace their interest in science and art back to their play time as children, and for many of us, LEGO bricks played a central role in our love for learning. It makes sense, then, to use LEGO to teach kids the basics of problem solving. That’s the purpose of the Central Illinois Junior FIRST LEGO League Expo hosted this week at Lincoln Land Community College. The event is one of many nationwide that grew out of a partnership between toymaker LEGO and New Hampshire-based nonprofi t FIRST, which focuses on introducing kids to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers. Teams of kids in certain age groups use LEGO pieces – including newfangled motorized bits – to devise solutions for problems presented by their adult mentors. The projects on display this week at LLCC were created by teams of kids ages six through nine to deal with waste disposal. Check out the exhibit from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on April 10 in Cass Gymnasium at Lincoln Land Community College, 5250 Shepherd Road. Get more info on FIRST at www.fi rstinspires.org.