Over one inspiring weekend, The Center drew sold-out crowds across Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami Beach for its inaugural “What If?” Days: a regional celebration of imagination, creativity, and community. Founded to help people of all ages discover, grow, and share their creativity, The Center did exactly that, igniting curiosity across South Florida.
Part of The Center’s Wonder Works program pillar, the annual “What If?” Challenge invites children ages 6–18 to imagine the future without limits by answering one question: “What if…?” Each year’s theme sparks curiosity and creativity as the foundation for innovation.
The program traces its inspiration back 30 years to when Andrea Virgin, The Center’s Founder, Chair & CEO, and her second-grade classmates imagined the park of their dreams. This process led to Boca Raton’s nationally acclaimed Sugar Sand Park.
“I’ve never forgotten how empowering it felt to be asked for my ideas as a child,” said Andrea Virgin, Chair & CEO of The Center. “I remember the kids around me dreaming up incredible things—a track to race animals against a light beam, a giant maze, even a huge eye that reflected the landscape upside down like the brain does before flipping it right side up. It showed me that creativity has no age limit. Today, we’re paying that experience forward—inviting the next generation to see that their imagination can shape The Center and, more importantly, the world around them.”
In the spirit of The Center’s current planning and research phase for a physical campus in South Florida, this year’s “What If?” question invited participants to design their own Center for Creativity: What would it look like? What would happen inside? What tools and spaces would help people imagine, discover, and innovate? The Center will now take those ideas and imagine new programs and spaces to bring those ideas to life.
The ideas that came in were as inventive as they were inspiring. One participant imagined “a giant treehouse where kids go up into the branches to a little stage just for kids to grow their confidence in front of their peers before presenting on a big stage in front of adults.” Another envisioned “a room where kids can get random stuff to make an invention.” One dreamed of “a science room where kids can do fun things like experiments and have fun while learning.” And another suggested “a little garden for little kids to grow plants and flowers and add them to little boxes around the community as decorations.”
“The ‘What If?’ Challenge gives young people the chance to dream without boundaries,” said Paul Block, Board Member of The Center and Chairman of Proteus Capital Associates. “It’s about showing all kids that their creativity can help shape the programs they experience, the spaces they’re in, and—most importantly—the future they want to see.”
The family-friendly events were hosted at Sugar Sand Park (Boca Raton), the Museum of Discovery and Science (Fort Lauderdale), and Normandy Fountain (Miami Beach). Each featured LEGO and mega-tile build stations, creativity stations by artNEST, music, food, and opportunities for kids to submit entries in person. More than 50% of participants represented communities of color, reflecting The Center’s commitment to expanding access to creativity not only across South Florida, but per their vision “for everyone, everywhere, for life”.
“Supporting programs like What If? is about investing in the next generation of thinkers and problem-solvers,” said Misha Ezratti, President and CEO of GL Homes, the first underwriter of the program. “These kids aren’t just imagining buildings; they’re imagining a better future. That’s the kind of vision our community needs.”
The “What If?” Challenge will culminate on November 23, 2025, at The Boca Raton, The Center’s premier hospitality partner, with an invitation-only exhibition and awards celebration showcasing participants’ entries and interactive “Maker + Me” stations. Winners in elementary, middle, and high school categories will each receive a $100 gift card and additional prizes. At the same time, three standout creators will earn seats on The Center’s Junior Creative Directors Board—a youth advisory group helping to shape The Center’s future programming and campus.
“Encouraging young people to think creatively isn’t just fun—it’s foundational,” said Briann Harms, Executive Director of the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District. “Creativity builds confidence, curiosity, and collaboration—all of which strengthen the fabric of our community. It’s our greatest pleasure to not only support this program, but to see a seed we planted 30 years ago blossom into a whole new mission.”
The “What If?” Challenge was made possible through the generous support of The Boca Raton, GL Homes, Duane Morris, artNEST, Normandy Fountain Business Association, and the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District—partners who share The Center’s passion for curiosity, creativity and community.
As The Center continues its remote programming and explores its future home in South Florida, one thing is clear: it has already become a movement. Through hands-on experiences, collaboration, and soon, dynamic spaces, The Center is redefining how creativity is discovered and shared.
