All-Girls Win Top Award at DCU hosted LEGO® League Tournament
The DCU LEGO Education Innovation Centre were delighted to welcome LEGO® Robots designed and built by 35 teams of young engineers to battle it out in Dublin City University’s Institute of Education last weekend at two of this year’s FIRST® LEGO® League SUBMERGED℠ regional tournaments.
Heats of the hands-on robotics and problem-solving programme take place throughout Ireland this month and next, with teams of children, aged 10 to 16, learning to think creatively, like scientists and engineers.
The all girls team, “Insperi”, from Ballymakenny College (Drogheda, Co Louth) took home the Champions’ trophy as the overall winners of the Leinster Regional tournament on Friday (28/Feb), and secured their place at next month’s Ireland Final. They were joined on the winner’s podium by Team “LEGO Lads” from Loreto Abbey Secondary School who scored the highest points in the Robot Game, Team “ECC 2nd Years” from Enfield Community College who won the Robot Design Award, Team “Plastivores” from Harold’s Cross National School who won the Innovation Project Award and Team “Citywise” from Citywise Education who were recognised with the Core Values Award.
Fourteen teams of Irish Girl Guides competed on Saturday 1 March in their largest tournament yet. The Octanaughts from Lucan Guides (Co. Dublin) - a team of 4 girls - took home the Champions trophy and they will be representing IGG at the Ireland Final next month. This was their first year competing in the tournament. They were joined on the winner's podium by The Squashed Squids from Macalla Guides (Co. Meath) who scored the highest points in the Robot Game. Team Winnie Fish from St. Brendan's Guides (Co. Kerry) won the trophy for their Robot Design, the Coral Creators from North Longford Senior Branch (Co. Longford) took home the Innovation Project prize and the Awesome Octonauts from Dilse Senior Branch (Co. Galway) were awarded the Core Values trophy. Receiving honorable mentions at the tournament were Rising All Stars - The Gills (St. Brendan's Guide, Co. Kerry), Breakthrough Award winners - Merlin Dolphins (St. Nicholas and Merlin Woods Guides, Co. Galway), and the Motivate prize went to the Deep Blue Divas (Mosney Guides and Senior Branch, Co. Meath).
The FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge involves a robot game and a research project, and this year’s theme involved teams using LEGO® technology to explore the layers of the ocean, bringing fresh ideas to the surface as students ‘sea’ into the future! Teams used their technical and collaborative skills to explore life beneath the ocean waves in one of the planet’s most complex ecosystems.
Professor Anne Looney, Executive Dean of Dublin City University’s Institute of Education, commented:
“DCU Institute of Education are delighted to be associated with the tournament. We were particularly pleased to see how our former STEM Teacher Interns got involved in the projects in their schools. The work of my colleagues on the teacher guide was also visible in the presentations. Lifelong engagement in STEM starts early. These competitions support that engagement.”
Celine Fitzgerald, Interim CEO of Research Ireland, commented:
“We are delighted to continue our support of this competition through Research Ireland’s Discover Programme as it strongly aligns with the programme’s aims of encouraging participation in STEM and providing further access routes. By challenging participants to explore the ocean and its ecosystems in creative and hands-on ways, this year’s competition will lead teams to think just like engineers and scientists and build real-world skills in STEM."
At the core of the initiative is a friendly contest, designed to fuel the enthusiasm of the participating students, organisers say. The teams of students and their coaches take on an exciting journey involving research, problem-solving, coding and engineering.
FIRST® LEGO® League participation is tailored to three age sections, from early years learning to Transition Year students, with robot games and activities suited to each level. FIRST is an acronym for ‘For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,’ and FIRST® LEGO® League inspires young people to understand and shape the world they live in, in a more sustainable and inclusive way.
Irish STEM education experts CreativeHUT organise FIRST® LEGO® League in Ireland, and Chief Impact Officer, Ross Maguire says the fun team-challenge is a platform for students to discover STEM learning.