Corner Conversations
Brick By Brick: Saint Paul Team Clinches Spot at National Robotics Competition
Capitol Hill Magnet School’s LEGO Llamas will show off their talents in STEM at the Florida Sunshine Invitational.
The LEGO Llamas are making history by being the first Saint Paul Public School LEGO team to compete on a national level. The LEGO Llamas are part of FIRST LEGO League Challenge, an international program that introduces children ages 4-16 to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through fun, problem solving and robotics.
Members of this eighth-grade team are students at Capitol Hill Gifted and Talented Magnet School in the Rondo neighborhood. With support from the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, these five young women will have the opportunity to show off their skills at this summer’s Florida Sunshine Invitational.
“When we received funding from the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, it was life changing,” said Vergene Downs, head LEGO League coach and gifted coordinator at Capitol Hill. “Every team member will be able to attend the competition and feel good about it knowing that this experience will not be a hardship for their family. Every family involved is so excited and thankful for this opportunity for their daughters."
During the regular season, Saint Paul teams like the LEGO Llamas are financially supported by the school district and local sponsors like 3M, but that support doesn’t extend to any competitions beyond the state level.
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About the LEGO League: Beyond Robots
“LEGO League is not just robots,” said coach Riley McArdle. “That’s the hook. The robot game only accounts for a quarter of the score, so the projects are a big part of it. They spend a lot of work researching and coming up with solutions, interviewing experts and then creating a presentation before the judge.”
To compete, the students must show their skills in four equally weighted categories:
- robot design
- the robot game
- core values
- innovation project
This year for their project the LEGO Llamas designed a website to help female musicians find work. The task has helped the young women understand time management, teamwork and leadership.
According to coaches Vergene and Riley, FIRST LEGO League Challenge competition is the most difficult because the teams are required to code and program their robots to navigate missions entirely without remote controls.
In Florida the team will tackle an additional challenge, to collaborate with others to complete their missions. “They will have to collaborate with the other team and learn how to work together to complete their missions without their robots colliding,” Riley said. “They will only have 90 seconds to look for loopholes. In LEGO League, we like to say, ‘it’s the hardest fun you’ll ever have.’”
Inspired to Make a Difference?
Here are three ways you can support local after-school programs in your community:
- Volunteer for after-school programs at local schools or community centers.
- Consider financially supporting after-school education or STEM programs, whether it's money for snacks or travel.
- Cheer on your local school at team events or competitions!
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