Young people from primary school, primary and secondary schools, showcasing great engineering talent, at the Lego League Regional Final. The unique event was hosted by the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Culdrose base in Helston. This year’s competition themed around archaeology drew participation from 450 students, who used Lego robots they constructed to complete a series of missions on a specialized game table.
The week’s program was designed to enhance the students’ understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It gave them a robust platform to bring their learning to life in a fun and dynamic manner. Students participated in a rigorous coding exercise and team competition, a critical part of the competition that fostered camaraderie and teamwork between students.
Felicity Blight, school secretary at Porthleven School, noted that, “the educational aspects of the competition and learning experience were a huge benefit. She stated, “It really builds on their STEM learning, they get to do a lot of coding and a lot of teamwork.” This innovative new model for engineering education reflects the event’s goal of developing innovative skills that are in high-demand for the jobs of engineering and technology’s future.
One of those participants was Elowyn, a student who was excited by the possibility of this kind of experience. “It’s a great experience for kids our age because you’re learning and still having fun,” she remarked, highlighting the balance between education and enjoyment that the competition provided.
We were joined by George Thorpe from the South West, who shared a powerful testimony. Following the final day of competition, George Slater, one of the competition’s organizers, lauded the students’ accomplishments considering the obstacles they had to navigate during the process. He noted, “The robots are not perfect, they will go wrong and they do go wrong, but the children get through that and persevere.” He appreciated the enthusiasm shown by the future engineers, stating, “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.”
140 kids from 35 teams in what turned out to be an exciting Lego League Regional Final. Most importantly, it ignited the next generation’s passion for engineering through thrilling, hands-on experiments. The event combined coding and collaboration with creative problem-solving challenges. In doing so, it inspired a generation of future innovators, scientists, and problem-solvers to address the challenges ahead.