More than 450 primary school students came together on the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Culdrose base near Helston. They all joined for an incredible Andover Lego League Regional Final. This year’s competition focused specifically on the idea of archaeology, pushing students to tap into their creativity and engineering prowess.
During the event, students utilized Lego robots they had designed and built to complete a series of missions on a game table. They got some hands-on experience that allowed them to put into practice their knowledge of coding and robotics. This great opportunity promoted collaboration and camaraderie between their classmates.
“It’s events like these that help make learning with STEM and the skills it teaches come alive.” Felicity Blight, school secretary, Porthleven School “It really builds on their STEM learning. They get to do a lot of coding and a lot of teamwork,” she stated.
Whatever the reason, the collaborative nature of the competition seemed to spur pupils to collaborate more productively than normal. Elowyn, one of our Board Youth Leaders and a past MITF participant, expressed her enthusiasm about the experience.
“It’s a great experience for kids our age because you’re learning and still having fun.” – Elowyn
The competition provided a unique opportunity for students to flex their engineering muscles. It equally served as a proving ground for the next generation of naval engineers to hone vital skills. It was great—you really got to see the difficulty that everyone had to deal with as they were operating their robots, said organizer George Slater.
“The robots are not perfect; they will go wrong and they do go wrong, but the children get through that and persevere.” – George Slater
Slater further emphasized the importance of getting students excited about those endeavors.
“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 not only provided a fun and educational experience for the pupils but reinforced the importance of STEM education in preparing young minds for future challenges. As schools like Porthleven and other institutions across the South West continue to participate in such competitions, they contribute to nurturing a generation equipped with critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for tomorrow’s workforce.