For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: kelsey@jgpr.net

SAU 16 Cooperative Middle School Students Place First in Robotic Programming at State LEGO Championship

EXETER — Principal Patricia Wons is pleased to share that the Cooperative Middle School’s Lego Team placed first in Robotic Programming at the New Hampshire State Lego League Championship Tournament this weekend.

Seven students on the school’s Lego Team attended the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League (FLL) Championship Tournament for New Hampshire on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Windham High School in Windham.

The Cooperative Middle School team, named the “Determined Desserts,” was among 50 middle school aged teams from throughout the Granite State that qualified for the championship during qualifying tournaments on Nov. 16. At its qualifying event, the Cooperative Middle School team won the Robot Design award. This weekend, the group was awarded the first place Programming Award at the State Championship.

“It’s incredible to see our students applying the concepts they’re learning at school and through the Lego Club to design, build and program a robot of their own, and to see them succeed at a statewide championship using those skills is wonderful,” Principal Wons said. “A job well done to these students, and to the educators and team coaches who have supported them and helped them explore their passion for robotics and programming.”

The team is coached by community volunteers Jim Ropp and Heather Skelly.

At the competition, students were tasked with designing, building and programming a robot using Lego Technic components. The robots were sent through a challenge course where points were scored for completing different tasks. Teams then gave a “Robot Design Executive Summary” presentation explaining the details of how they built and programmed their robots.

Students also gave a technical project presentation addressing a real world problem and proposing an innovative solution that was either new or improved upon one that is already in practice. To prepare for this presentation, students researched prior to the competition and spoke with experts in the field.

Each year, the league has a different theme. This year, the theme was “City Shapers,” which focused on finding ways to build a better future. The Cooperative Middle School team chose a project to improve bridge inspection techniques by proposing a track-mounted camera that could be installed on bridges and allow for more frequent, less expensive and safer inspections.

The teams were judged on “Core Values” including teamwork, inclusion, gracious professionalism and fun.

Cooperative Middle School first organized its Lego Team six years ago.

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