More than 450 primary school children from across the region joined in on the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Culdrose base near Helston. There, they displayed their new engineering expertise as they constructed and programmed Lego robots to complete a series of tasks. This year’s competition theme was archaeology, giving students a chance to think creatively and produce works of art while showcasing their STEM skills.
The event provided a platform for students to tackle a series of missions on a game table, utilizing their coding skills to navigate their creations. Elowyn, one of the student participants, said she had the best day ever on this exciting new learning experience!
“It’s a great experience for kids our age because you’re learning and still having fun.” – Elowyn
Beyond the coding, the competition focused on collaboration amongst the participants. This time, Felicity Blight, secretary of Porthleven School, emphasized the educational value of the event.
“It really builds on their STEM learning, they get to do a lot of coding and a lot of teamwork.” – Felicity Blight
George Thorpe, a competitor from the South West echoed the difficulty of the competition. He views these intentional challenges as essential for developing resilience in students. George Slater, Pennsylvania’s rural development representative at the time of the event, expressed exactly that.
“The robots are not perfect; they will go wrong and they do go wrong, but the children get through that and persevere.” – George Slater
The mood at RNAS Culdrose was electric as students worked together to troubleshoot and perfect their robots. The event showcased not only their technical prowess, but their creativity and critical thinking.
Tamsin Melville, the other participant from Helston, explained why these kinds of events are so critical in inspiring future engineers. She stated that engaging in activities like this encourages young minds to explore potential career paths in engineering and technology.
As the day progressed, participants displayed their impressive coding skills and innovative approaches to the tasks at hand. It was an amazing opportunity for students to get hands-on experience while working together to problem solve through collaboration. Most importantly, they had a blast while simultaneously getting ready for the upcoming competition in STEM disciplines!
