MONCKS CORNER, S.C.–Berkeley Intermediate School’s FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team, Berkeley’s Outstanding LEGO Team (B.O.L.T.), placed second overall for Teamwork in Core Values at the FIRST LEGO League Razorback Invitational at the University of Arkansas last week.
B.O.L.T. competed against 72 other teams from 31 states and 13 countries.
At the competition, teams were judged on many things including the FIRST LEGO League’s Core Values: Integration, Inclusion, Discovery, Teamwork, Efficiency, Effectiveness, Gracious Professionalism and Cooperation, an FLL word combining competition and cooperation.
“The FLL LEGO Team has been a rewarding experience for our students, coaches, mentors and parents. When you think of LEGO, you think of kids sitting around playing with blocks. However, the FLL LEGO program has given our students a hands-on approach to research, science, engineering and technology. The team has also been given the opportunity to learn Core Values essential to life-long positive character traits. FLL provides a platform that allows students to be young professionals in a competitive environment. Our team has become a family and we are so proud of all they have accomplished this year,” said Dr. Nicole Brevard-Hines, Media Specialist and B.O.L.T. Coach at Berkeley Intermediate School.
B.O.L.T. was chosen to participate in the championship competition because of its stellar performance at other competitions this year. The team placed first at the Berkeley Regional Qualifier in January and second overall at the East State Tournament in March.
“This experience has been wonderful and I don’t think anyone will ever forget. LEGO means to always do the right things and never give up on what you believe in. LEGO gives you confidence and courage to never give up,” said Berkeley Intermediate fourth grader, Abigail Carswell.
Each year the FLL challenge changes. Each challenge has three parts: the Robot Game, the Project and the FLL Core Values. This year, B.O.L.T. and other FLL teams were tasked with finding a more innovative way to help someone learn to tie shoelaces. Each team must develop a solution to the topic or problem by creating a device or invention. Then students must research all aspects of their solution and create it from raw materials.
Explaining LEGO League and why she enjoys being a part of the team, B.O.L.T. member, fifth grade student, Izzy Matkovich said, “LEGO League is very important to me. We have worked very hard on everything we have done and I’m really excited we made it to Nationals last week. It’s something I’ll always remember and be proud of.”
A robotics competition is also associated with the LEGO League. Students build a robot as well as the table on which the robot runs its missions, and using LEGO’s Mindstorms software, students program the robot to run missions on the table.
Fifth grade student, Cecilia Higgins, said, “In LEGO League, I’m challenged in a social setting. I especially like that we have to program robots using Mindstorms technology and I really like brainstorming ideas for our project.”
Agreeing with Higgins about the challenges LEGO League projects present, fifth grader Hadyn Hines said, “To me, LEGO League is a course of challenges, teamwork and most of all, learning.”
Comparing LEGO League to a family, fifth grade student, Sierra Curnell, said, “LEGO League is like another family to me because we include others and work together as a team.”
Describing her experience with B.O.L.T., fifth grader Katie Salisbury said, “I learned that LEGO League is not just about playing with LEGO’s. It is so much more. I really think that LEGO is a great experience because you learn to work as a team and how to work a robot. We also have many things in common. Our team motto is ‘We never throw someone under the bus; we get hit together.’”
Echoing Katie Salisbury’s sentiments that LEGO League is more than just playing with LEGO’s, fourth grade student, Mason Salisbury said, “It’s not just about playing; in LEGO League I do robotics. We built a robot that completes missions on the LEGO board and we made a device that helps kids learn to tie their shoes.”
Fourth grade student, Jakeirah Darby said, “The best part of LEGO League is being a team that works together. It is not just one person doing it all. We work together and everybody shares their thoughts.”
Shedding light on the funny aspects of B.O.L.T., fourth grader Andrew Mims said, “As a result of getting to know my teammates and spending so much time together, I learned that the majority of us can’t whistle.”
FIRST LEGO League is a robotics program for 9 to 14-year-old children designed to engage children’s interest in science, technology and engineering through a real-world challenge that must be solved by research, critical thinking and imagination. Teams are composed of up to 10 children with at least two Lead Coaches. The mission of FLL is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, the inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication and leadership.
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