Four hundred fifty primary school pupils gathered at the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Culdrose base in Helston to participate in the Lego League Regional Final. All of the students displayed some truly incredible engineering talent throughout this exhilarating competition. They creatively commanded Lego robots to solve a whole range of challenges on a custom-made game board.
The competition’s theme centered around archaeology, challenging the participants to think creatively while applying their knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). School teams from as far away as the Isles of Scilly, such as Porthleven School, took part in school challenges that combined technical ingenuity with teamwork.
Elowyn, an 8th grade student who took part in the event, shared her excitement from the unique experience.
“It’s a great experience for kids our age because you’re learning and still having fun.” – Elowyn
Felicity Blight, the school secretary of Porthleven School, spoke to us about how crucial these events can be in supporting what happens in the classroom. She noted that the competition really helps students to explore what they can do with engineering. It gives participants an opportunity to develop both teamwork and coding skills.
“It really builds on their STEM learning, they get to do a lot of coding and a lot of teamwork.” – Felicity Blight
Each day, students were thrown into situations that challenged their creativity and innovative spirit. One of the mentors that day, George Slater, elaborated on the resilience he saw in those young engineers.
“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 double-downed on the importance of experiential learning as an immersive and effective method for readying the next generation of engineers’ professional careers.
“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
Local supporter Tamsin Melville from Helston was one of those in attendance. She was engaging and entertaining as she revealed her classmates’ secrets to success while competing in the contest. Participants worked hand-in-hand, learning from each other as they learned together through the trials and tribulations that their robotic designs created.
As the event concluded, it was clear that the Lego League Regional Final not only provided an avenue for creativity but fostered a sense of community among young learners passionate about engineering and technology.