Recently, 450 primary school pupils put their imaginations and design and building abilities to the test at the First Lego League Regional Final. The fun event was hosted on the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Culdrose base in Helston. Archaeology was the theme of this year’s competition. The energy in the room was infectious as young minds built and programmed Lego robots to complete minute challenges on a competition table.
The competition provided students the opportunity to display their job-ready technical abilities. More importantly, it forced the participants to work together and helped build trust and camaraderie among them. Every team worked hard to guide their robots safely across the treacherous game table. They completed challenges that pushed their coding skills and honed their critical thinking skills.
Felicity Blight, the school secretary of Porthleven School, spoke on the importance of the competition providing an educational experience. She particularly stressed the role of the event in improving pupils’ STEM education.
“It really builds on their STEM learning, they get to do a lot of coding and a lot of teamwork.” – Felicity Blight
Among the hundreds of participants was Elowyn, a student who told us how much she loved the experience. She offered us her insight on the event, including how it balanced being an educational opportunity while remaining fun.
“It’s a great experience for kids our age because you’re learning and still having fun.” – Elowyn
All of the local schools in our region were very competitive and had strong teams. Pupils applauded each other’s work, cultivating a climate of camaraderie as they worked through their Lego designs’ trials and tribulations.
As one of the mentors at the event, George Slater reflected on the learning process of the entire competition. He stressed that difficulties often arise when operating robotics. His words reminded us that determination is key to breaking down barriers.
“The robots are not perfect, they will go wrong and they do go wrong, but the children get through that and persevere.” – George Slater
He further added that it was inspiring to witness young participants engage in activities that could potentially lead them towards careers in engineering.
“It’s really great to see the potential naval engineers of the future having loads of fun, getting engaged in this sort of activity and doing some really impressive coding.” – George Slater
The Lego League Regional Final continues to provide an invaluable opportunity for pupils to enhance their STEM skills while working collaboratively. Through the combination of amusement and learning, this event fosters the innovators and engineers of tomorrow.