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LEGO® Robots designed and built by 10 teams representing Irish Girl Guides (IGG) across five counties of Ireland competed at the FIRST® LEGO® League MASTERPIECE Regional Tournament Saturday 24 February at Dublin City University’s St. Patrick’s campus. The team Cora and the Explorers advanced to the All-Ireland Final in March with the possibility of a wildcard slot allowing another team through.
Through this innovative programme, girls learn STEAM (science, technology engineering, arts, and mathematics) skills, engage in competition, and strengthen teamwork and camaraderie. The science and technology challenge tasks teams to build a robot to tackle a series of missions and create an innovative solution to a real-world problem. It is one of the many avenues that Irish Girl Guides leads the way and delivers its mission of enabling girls and young women to become responsible global citizens, encouraging them to broaden their horizons and discover a world of science and engineering through LEGO®.
This year’s MASTERPIECE℠ challenge asked FIRST® LEGO® League teams to imagine innovative new ways to create and communicate art across the globe using technology while demonstrating their skills in robotics, computer programming, teamwork, research, problem solving and communication.
Supported by the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Discover Programme, the initiative is organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in partnership with Irish delivery partner, CreativeHUT.
FIRST is an acronym for ‘For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,’ and FIRST® LEGO® League encourages children to think like scientists and engineers, developing practical solutions to real-world issues.
FIRST® LEGO® League inspires young people from the ages of 4-16 to understand and shape the world they live in, in a more sustainable and inclusive way. Importantly, it ignites interest in STEAM learning, challenging the idea that science is dull, too technical, or only for boys!
Katie Keogh, IGG LEGO® Robotics Co-ordinator, is delighted by what the teams have been able to put together. “Every year, I am impressed by the ingenuity, creativity, and engineering skills these girls demonstrate,” she said. “Getting the opportunity to work with the girls is a joy, from training them on the LEGO® kits and technology to seeing their realised visions. These young inventors truly embody the spirit of Irish Girl Guides.”
The IGG LEGO Robotics programme is yet another example of how IGG is leading the way for young girls to have the opportunity to engage in STEAM, encouraging them to pursue STEAM subjects in school and STEAM careers by providing practical, hands-on experience in a fun environment. “Many of our youth members take up college courses and careers in STEM as a result of this programme and our other STEM programmes too,” says IGG CEO Lorraine Mackey McHugh. “Our Badges include these STEAM areas such as Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Robotics alongside our more traditional programme with Badges such as Environmental Awareness, Nature Observer, and Water Safety. Irish Girl Guides is dedicated to building this diverse range of skills in girls and young women.”
Dublin-based CreativeHUT is the regional organiser of FIRST® LEGO® League in Ireland. Founder Ross Maguire says the fun team-challenge inspires the new generation of budding scientists and engineers. “FIRST® LEGO® League is a platform for students to discover the world of STEM and collaborate on real-world problems. These fantastic young people are taking the first steps to become tomorrow’s innovators, creators and problem solvers. The concepts of cooperation and competition combine. It’s the idea that, by working together, we all win. It is not about building robots, it’s about robots building people.”
The annual robotics and creative thinking challenge is organised in the UK and Ireland by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). Hannah Rees, Senior Education Manager, explains how FIRST® LEGO® League allows young people to really experience engineering in action. “It encourages children to think like scientists and engineers, and to embrace learning. We are incredibly pleased to see that participation by schools and youth group teams in the annual challenge has grown steadily in the past three years and is now a national programme in Ireland.”
FIRST® LEGO® League is more than technical skills, Professor Deirdre Butler of the DCU LEGO® Education Innovation Studio believes. “The opportunity to be centrally involved in this initiative contributes to our goal of helping DCU student teachers and Irish schools develop innovative and creative approaches to designing learning experiences which ignite a passion for learning STEAM concepts and skills from early childhood education right through to third level. By adopting LEGO’s playful learning tools, with a ‘Hearts-on-Hands-on Minds-on’ mindset, in a supportive learning environment, all students can develop key competencies such as creative thinking, problem-solving, team-working and communication.”
Dublin City University is a lead university partner in the annual STEAM event, along with University partners across Ireland, corporate supporters, youth groups, schools, children, parents, and teachers.
Dr Ruth Freeman, Director, Science for Society at SFI, says the inclusive appeal of FIRST LEGO League makes science accessible to everyone.
“We are delighted to be supporting FIRST® LEGO® League in helping young people to build essential skills in STEM, such as creativity and problem solving, and giving them a chance to apply these skills to real-world problems. This programme supports the SFI Discover programme’s central aims to increase public engagement and broaden participation and access to STEM across Ireland.”
In Ireland, FIRST® LEGO® League is supported by funding from Science Foundation Ireland’s Discover Programme. It aims to inspire and create awareness of the impact of STEAM on society, and its connection and contribution to everyday life.
Teams competed in regional tournaments during January and February 2024 for a place at the All-Ireland Final in March 2024, from which a team will emerge to represent Ireland in the World FIRST® LEGO® League Finals.
More than 11,000 children have participated in FIRST® LEGO® League in Ireland in the past three years of the global programme. CreativeHUT partners with Dublin City University and its School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies to increase STEM awareness in young people.
This year, groups of girls representing Irish Girl Guides with ages ranging from 10-16 competed. About 500 Girl Guides from all parts of the country participated in FIRST® LEGO® events throughout the year.
Cora and the Explorers from Mosney Guides Julianstown, Co Meath, won not only the prize for best performance at the robotics tables but the overall prize and advance to the All-Ireland Final in March.
The other winners were Innovation Project winners GEESE from Macalla Guides Trim, Co Meath; Robot Design winners LEGOlympians from North Longford Senior Branch, Co Longford; and Core Values winners Golden Guides from St. Vincent’s Brownies Tralee, Co Kerry.
The 10 teams at Saturday’s Regional Tournament were:
• The Pick Me Ups from Cill Dubh Guides Tralee, Co Kerry
• GEESE from Macalla Guides Trim, Co Meath
• The Giddy Guides from St. Vincent’s Brownies Tralee, Co Kerry
• The Golden Guides from St. Vincent’s Brownies Tralee, Co Kerry
• All seeing LEGO Girl eye from Ardagh Guides Ballycloghan, Co Longford
• The LEGO Outcasts from Ardagh Guides Ballycloghan, Co Longford
• Cora and the Explorers from Mosney Guides Julianstown, Co Meath
• Pinky Pie from Carrigtwohill Guides, Co Cork
• Team Drama Llama from Edenderry Guides, Co Offaly
• LEGOlympians from North Longford Senior Branch, Co Longford
Three programme levels — Discover, Explore and Challenge — are carefully tailored to different age groups, so young people develop a broad range of practical and soft skills over time.
Visit fll.learnit.ie to discover more about the range of programmes and how to get involved.