Innovation Valley

Innovation Valley

Young innovators tackle global challenges at inaugural competition.

A dozen teams of grades 6, 7 and 8 students from 10 local schools descended on Fanshawe’s Innovation Village in May 2024 for the inaugural STE3M Robotics Competition, dubbed Innovation Valley 2024, a collaborative effort with Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) to tackle real-world challenges that impact people both locally and globally.

The competition marked the culmination of a six-week learning module challenging students to complete a project based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under the theme of “Our Growing Cities”, each team was tasked with defining and analyzing a problem and then designing an innovative solution, which they pitched to a panel of judges.

“Innovation Valley is not just about preparing students for future success in STEM fields; it is about inspiring them to become active, engaged citizens who are passionate about making a difference in the world,” says Scott Askey, TVDSB’s STEM system principal. “This initiative exemplifies the power of collaboration, education, institutions and the community in fostering innovation and creativity.”

The competition also required students to apply their analytical and teamwork abilities to create, construct and program robots using LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime to autonomously complete a common set of green missions (e.g., lift solar panels to the top of buildings, shut off a leaky water main, etc.) on an 8'x 8' game board designed by Fanshawe faculty.

“As a leading provider of skilled trades and apprenticeship training in the Ontario college system, Fanshawe was honoured to welcome these young minds to campus,” says Jason Burt, associate dean of Fanshawe’s School of Applied Science and Technology.

“Beyond the excitement of competition, we hope the experience will serve as a building block that inspires these students to explore future pathways in the skilled trades.”