A FIRST LEGO LEAGUE JOURNEY

AISHA KRISTIANSEN

Watching students heavily engaged in solving real world problems and building/coding robots is the hallmark of the FIRST Ⓡ LEGO Ⓡ League Challenge program. With critical thinking, creativity and collaboration at its heart, students embark on an extraordinary journey to identify solutions using the integrated pillars of STEM Education. To be successful requires connecting with experts, working with skilled mentors, and undergoing extensive research, which culminates in the creation of a prototype. Running alongside the Innovation Project, the team of up to 10 students also builds and programs an autonomous EV3 robot that solves a series of season-specific missions. Ongoing iteration of the robot and attachments requires students to continually design engineer solutions, to complete the maximum number of missions within the 2 ½ minutes time frame. Underpinning both categories are the FIRST Core Values - the very essence of the program!

My connection with this innovative STEM program dates back to 2016, with a group of 8 students solving ‘Animal Allies ’ . From my earliest involvement with the program, I knew that FIRSTⓇ LEGOⓇ League was a dynamic learning opportunity like no other. During the season, this group of talented students explored the problem of the Northern Pacific Sea Star, which was an introduced marine species carried into our local waters by international cargo ships. The sea stars were overrunning the Bellarine Peninsula near Geelong (Victoria, Australia) and wreaking havoc on the fragile ecosystem. ‘Cre8te the Future ’ went on to work with Deakin University to design an underwater robot that would humanely reduce sea star numbers by euthanasia, to restore ecological balance in the region. From researching the Science behind marine diversity right through to Engineering an underwater robot solution, the STEM connections were natural and intuitive.

The next season addressed ‘Hydrodynamics ’ and brought about a rich investigation into turning the local Alcoa aluminium smelter into a wondrous Supertree grove, like one located in Singapore. The students spoke with one of the architects of the Singapore Supertrees based in the United Kingdom and worked closely with local water authorities to design a state-of-the-art water hydration system. This innovation project would see the team be awarded a spot to represent Australia at the First Lego League Competition in Debrecen, Hungary in

2018.

The team worked tirelessly to fundraise the almost $50,000 needed to make it to the competition, whilst forging some invaluable corporate partnerships along the way. ‘Cre8te the Future ’ also raised awareness of STEM in the local community, including speaking at corporate events, running robotics workshops, and holding meetings with local Ministers of Parliament (MP’ s) to discuss the possibility of turning their idea for the region into a reality. The team was even mentioned in the State Parliament!

The ‘Into Orbit’ season provided a new set of challenges for our students. In secret, I had applied for 8 scholarships to the University of Melbourne ’ s Space Program totalling $5,000 and every child was accepted. They spent the week with leading space scientists, including the famous Canadian astronaut, Chris Hadfield. For the innovation project, the students developed a solution to the feelings of isolation the astronauts suffered whilst on the space station. The team created a 4D virtual reality experience using Unity - an advanced programming software - and an electric chair donated by Ford Automotive Company they set about rewiring. The team would go on to win the National Design Engineering Award for their robot and would travel to Nepal for a STEM Outreach Program. The students were committed to “ paying it forward” by sharing their skills and expertise with children in this developing nation. It was a life changing experience for us all.

Fast forward to 2021 and a move from Australia to Germany. In my second year at Berlin Brandenburg International School, we continue the journey of embedding this invaluable program into our curriculum. This year ’ s RePLAY season challenged our students to consider how to increase motivation and physical activity - a timely theme in the backdrop of a global pandemic. Our incredibly talented BBIbotS team comprised of Years/Grade 5 & 6 students worked with experts from Seattle to create a hologram workout buddy in the form of sports glasses and a customised App. This project has been nominated for the FIRST Global Innovation Award. Our Grade 7 & 8 team - the RobotSapiens - addressed the issue of cycling accidents, designing a 360° detection system using haptic and light technology to alert the cyclist. The FIRSTⓇ LEGOⓇ League program is an absolute game-changer for schools. It empowers students to be the change they want to see in the world, whilst incorporating STEM learning in a holistic and engaging way. Reach out to one of the regional partners today and get involved in the new season - Cargo Connect! 3...2...1...LEGO!

Aisha Kristiansen

Aisha is the EdTech Integrator at Berlin Brandenburg International School in Germany. She supports staff and students to understand the transformational impact of education technologies on their learning environments.