Any aviator or aerial marine. ” Four hundred and fifty primary school pupils were converging on the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Culdrose base at Helston. They had so much fun at the Lego League Regional Final. Participants learned engineering and coding concepts while developing their Lego robots for the annual competition. They deployed these imaginative inventions to complete a gauntlet of challenges on a tabletop game board. The theme for this year’s competition was archaeology. It offered young engineers the opportunity to stretch their ingenuity and problem-solving talents in a creative, hands-on, exciting atmosphere.
The occasion highlighted the importance of STEM education. It provided students with an opportunity to hone their programming talents and develop collaboration skills. Competitors from various schools across the region worked collaboratively to navigate their robots through intricate tasks, demonstrating both creativity and technical skill.
Felicity Blight, the school secretary at Porthleven School highlighted the broader educational experience that the competition provides. She noted that the event significantly contributes to STEM learning, stating, “It really builds on their STEM learning, they get to do a lot of coding and a lot of teamwork.”
One of the participants was Elowyn, a student who said it was one of the best experiences she ever had. “It’s a great experience for kids our age because you’re learning and still having fun,” Elowyn remarked.
Performances by singer George Thorpe from the South West raised the excitement levels of this special event. TechTamer Tamsin Melville from Helston was responsible for some of that excitement! Through their play of building and programming robots, we observed a catalyst that sparked and deepened their interest in engineering, technology and problem-solving.
The competition would end up being a true test of patience and resiliency for many competitors. George Slater pointed out that the pupils had to go through obstacles with their robots. “The robots are not perfect, they will go wrong and they do go wrong, but the children get through that and persevere,” he stated.