Teams featuring students from Bristol fared very well in the FIRST LEGO League State Championship held at Roger Williams University Saturday.
More than 500 elementary and middle school students on 40 teams from around Rhode Island competed in the contest, with FIRST LEGO League giving out 10 trophies. This year’s theme was “Animal Allies.”
A team from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Bristol St. Philomena School won two awards Saturday.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Squirtles, from the Bristol school, won first place in Robot Performance, scoring 169 points to edge out the RoboWolves, from Jamestown, who scored 168 points. The OLMC team also won an award for Core Values - Teamwork.
The OLMC team is coached by Eric Urban and Nick Almonte, and includes team members Abigail Ferreira, Jaggs Harmon, Mia Padula, Katelyn Rensehausen, Rebecca Usher, Althea Vedro and Christina Vittoria.
Other area winners include two teams from Portsmouth’s St. Philomela School. Team B.A.R.C.S. received the award for having the best project presentation and was selected to be Rhode Island representative to submit its project idea for the Global Innovation Award. St. Philomena’s other group of students, Team B.R.A.I.N., received an award for the Innovative Solution for its research. The team was also chosen as first alternate for the project presentation award.
The overall winner of the competition was S.M.A.R.T. 2.0 from St. Mary Academy Bay View in East Providence.
Robotics and research
FIRST LEGO League is a hands-on science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) enrichment program that combines the excitement of robotics with a research project that encourages scientific literacy. In Rhode Island, FIRST LEGO League is managed by Rhode Island Students of the Future, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote STEAM engagement through youth robotics.
“Children need opportunities to make things and work through why it works or why it doesn't," said Rebekah Gendron, president of the Rhode Island Students of the Future board of directors. “FIRST LEGO League fosters persistence and problem solving skills, which serve the students well as they move through their education and into careers."
RWU President Donald J. Farish said, “Roger Williams University is dedicated to building the university the world needs now. The world now needs sharp young minds focused on areas such as robotics and engineering, and this FIRST LEGO League event engages students in those areas in a fun and fascinating way. Offering scholarships and support to the Rhode Island FIRST LEGO League provides a renewable investment that benefits our greater community.”
The teams have been meeting since September to build and program an autonomous LEGO EV3 robot that navigates across a playing field and scores points for completing various tasks. The teams also developed an innovative solution after defining research questions relating to the Animal Allies theme, which focused on improving the relationship between animals and humans.
At the action-packed tournament, teams compete in two-and-a-half minute matches to earn as many points as possible on the playing field, which is made entirely of LEGO elements. In morning judging sessions, each team presents their Animal Allies research project and innovative solution to professionals from the community.
Teams, comprised of up to 10 students ages 9-14, vie for awards in categories such as robot design, robot strategy, research quality and teamwork.
The team earning a strong evaluation across all judging categories and in the robot game wins the coveted Champion’s Award and is eligible to compete in the FIRST World Festival, an event held in April 2017 that brings together teams from 80 countries to celebrate the spirit of friendly competition and collaboration.