23 Nov 2023
On Tuesday, Murrumbidgee hosted master builders from across the MIA for the FIRST Lego League Regional Championships.
The competition challenges students between the age of 9-16 to build a Lego robot to complete a myriad of tasks. Points are assigned on the complexity of the tasks and the parts of the table the tasks are completed on.
The robots had to be build using Lego’s programming language Word Blocks. Though there were size restrictions, and the robots were limited to 4 engines and one control brick, the students were otherwise free to build whatever they wanted.
The competition was judged and facilitated by volunteers from FIRST and helpers from the Grow Our Own program. The program was brought to the school by MASE (The Murrumbidgee Academy of STEM Excellence), who are at the cutting edge of innovative STEM education in the region.
FIRST, the organisation who run of the FIRST Lego League, stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. Their mission is to inspire young people to become science and technology leaders through innovative programs like the Lego league.
Leeton High School, Leeton Primary School, Yenda Public School, East Griffith Primary School, Griffith Public School, Binya Public School and of course, Murrumbidgee Regional High School competed in the competition. The teams were judged not only on their robot’s performance, but the team’s ability to sell the robot through presentations and posters.
Griffith East Public School managed to take the day, winning overall on points. They will be given the option of competing at the state competition next week
“Our team did really well for their first effort,” explains MRHS team coach Chris Parkin, “Now they’ve had the experience, they’ll know what to do next time. They’re already excited for the next year.”
You can view the photos from the event here.