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| Members of the Lego Divas during FLL table competition. |
Four GSSI Robotics Teams competed in the FIRST Lego League (FLL) qualifier at Carriel Jr. High on Saturday, Dec. 7:
The Lego Divas from Effingham, coached by Dawn Quicksall and Matthew Blacker
The Robotic Gems from Washington Park, coached by Karmilia Prude
The Twisters from Troy/Marine, coached by Amy Beard and Sara Tipton
The Unknowns from Belleville, coached by Julie Herr
FLL is a robotics program for 9 to 14 year olds which is designed to get children excited about science and technology, as well as teach them valuable life skills. Teams use a LEGO MINDSTORMS Lego set to build and program an autonomous robot to score points on a themed playing surface. The theme for this year’s tournament was “Nature’s Fury” and concerned natural disasters and how science can help aid prevention and recovery efforts. Along with programming robots, teams were also evaluated on an elaborate research project, as well as how well they demonstrate FLL Core Values, which include teamwork, collective learning, active participation and gracious professionalism. After practicing and preparing for months, teams meet at regional qualifying tournaments to be graded on the three elements, with the top teams advancing to state competition.
The Lego Divas qualified for state
competition during the FIRST Lego League (FLL) regional qualifier at Carriel
Jr. High in O’Fallon on Saturday, Dec. 7. They also took home the Project Award for their outstanding research project, the "Heat Buddy" a battery operated heated blanket designed to help stranded motorists.
The Twisters from Troy/Marine completed the tournament with the fourth highest table score, while the Robotic Gems from Washington Park and The Unknowns from Belleville also had good showings during the competition.
"We are so proud of all of our GSSI Robotics Teams and excited to see the Lego Divas advance to the next level of competition, " said GSSI's STEM Program Manager Mary Buchanan. "Coaches and girls put countless hours of work into programming their robot, completing their research and practicing their presentation to get ready for FLL tournaments. The girls are learning a lot -- not just about programming and research, but also about persistence, working together and dedication to achieving a goal."
Eleven GSSI Robotics Teams will compete in the McKendree University Regional Qualifier on Saturday, Dec. 14. The are: G4SF from Ozark, The Tornado Twisters from Albers, Tornado Tech Girls from Pinckneyville, TBot 907 from Roxana, Robo Fury from Godfrey, GIR! Girls Investigating Robots from Staunton, Catastrophic Cadettes from Staunton, The Fireworks from Glen Carbon, The Purple Robot Penguins from O’Fallon, The Shiloh Robo Bears from Shiloh, Lightning Storm from Belleville. Qualifying teams from both regionals will compete at the FLL State Tournament - Illinois Central on Jan. 18 at University of Illinois in Urbana.
About GSSI's Robotic Program:
In 2009, GSSI began
its robotics journey with one robotic team.
This year, GSSI is sponsoring 25 Girl Scout robotics teams in three
different leagues. Robotics teams are a
key component to GSSI’s initiative to get more girls in southern Illinois
interested and involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Other STEM programming ranges from doing
basic chemistry experiments with younger girls to teaching financial literacy
during the Girl Scout Cookie Program to introducing older girls to career
mentors in engineering and medicine.
“Engaging girls in STEM in exciting, relevant
ways is vital,” said GSSI STEM Program Manager Mary Buchanan. “Research shows
that many students, especially girls, drift away from STEM around middle
school. GSSI provides diverse
opportunities to build and reinforce interest in these important fields. As shown by our growth in the number of robotics
teams, many girls are searching for ways to stay involved in STEM. and we
strive to provide them with unique and constructive experiences.”
Girl Scouts has a long history of encouraging
girls to participate in STEM. The first
STEM badges – the electrician badge and the flyer badge – were introduced in
1913!
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois serves 14,000
girls and 4,800 adult volunteers in more than 40 counties in southern Illinois.
Girl Scouting has inspired more than 50 million girls and women since its
founding in 1912. Girl Scouting is focused on providing a premier Girl Scout
Leadership Experience for girls in the 21st century, while ensuring the traditions
and values that have been core to Girl Scouting since its beginning remain
strong and relevant.
