MOLINE, Ill. — Students from Illinois were stacking together pieces of their education today in a colorful competition.
The FIRST LEGO League Challenge hosted its local qualifiers over the weekend, with Sunday being the second day of competition. Teams of about ten students tested their programmed LEGO robots in three rounds of competition.
"Since the beginning of the year we've been meeting every Monday and Thursday," Wilson Middle School eighth-grader Olivia Boehle said. "We got to actually learn how to actually code the robot. I was pretty confused last year but I learned how to do it this year better.”
Olivia is one of almost half a million kids ages 4 to 16 who would participate in the FIRST LEGO League Challenge worldwide. Those who place in the local qualifiers move on to sectional and statewide competitions.
"I think everyone should try it out, just like learn something new," she said.
In addition to the robotics rounds, students are judged on their professionalism, teamwork and research project.
"We also have a research project that we made. It's about cargo ships and making them cleaner," Olivia said.
Referee and FIRST robotics alumni Sam Smith volunteered for his sixth year with the organization.
"I just found it really natural to step into the volunteer role and try to create the experience and replicate that for students," he said.
He said many of the skills have assisted him in his career.
"You learn a lot of skills that aren't just building robots," he said.
A role he now holds with the competition's local host.
"I work at John Deere as a user experience designer, he said. "I have to give presentations all the time on my work. I'm much more comfortable doing that now because of my time with FIRST."