Building bright future by creating Lego masterpieces
Students will travel from across Central Queensland to compete in the seventh annual First Lego League tournament at CQUniversity Gladstone on Saturday, 4 November 2023.
The First Lego League (FLL) event is a high energy STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) tournament that will see about 200 primary and secondary school students from Rockhampton, Gladstone, Calliope and the Central Highlands imagine and innovate new ways to create and communicate art across the globe – using Lego, creativity and technology skills.
The students aged nine to 16 will take part in the Masterpiece season challenge where they will develop skills in research, design and programming in a playful way and discover their creative passions.
CQUniversity’s Dr Cal Devney said the First Lego League gives participating students an age-appropriate introduction to the exciting areas of STEM subjects by learning how to program Lego robots and answering questions about society as a whole.
“While students develop skills in building and coding robots, they are also developing their communication skills and teamwork qualities,” she said.
The educational program consists of two offerings: First Lego League Explore, which is intended for children of primary school age (6 to 10 years old), and First Lego League Challenge, which is aimed at students aged 9 to 16.
In both programs, participants have the opportunity to dedicate themselves to a new topic from a wide variety of fields each year and to develop innovative research projects.
This year's tournament season encompasses the theme Masterpiece, and challenges teams to find creative ways to get others excited about their hobbies and interests.
“While exchanging ideas with experts in museums, theatres and other creative fields, the participants will learn from artistic professionals about how to express themselves and how to appeal to and entertain different audiences,” explained Dr Devney.
She said the University has joined with Education Queensland, Rio Tinto and Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) to offer the tournament in Central Queensland.
“It’s great to see industry and education coming together to support the learning of STEM in the regions with events like FLL.
Tournament Director for Gladstone and Acting Principal of Gladstone West State School Sarah Jacob said the Gladstone Regional FLL Tournament allowed regional and rural students the chance to participate in a world-recognised competition, building their STEM skills along the way.
“I am very proud to be the tournament director and appreciate the support from our partners, CQUniversity, Rio and QAL to bring this opportunity to life,” she said.
“As well as our partners, there are countless local volunteers who give their time in support of our local kids. This event is a testament to the great community we live in, where locals work together so our students can access the same opportunities as their south-east corner counterparts.”
Rio Tinto Yarwun has also seized the opportunity to foster grassroots STEM skill development within the community through its partnership with FLL.
“STEM related events such as this ensure our local students are well equipped with skills that will help them in their future careers,” said Shannon Price, Acting General Manager, Rio Tinto Yarwun.
QAL General Manager Pine Pienaar said, “We are proud to be supporting CQUniversity with this year’s First Lego League Tournament. It is a great opportunity for the next generation to enhance their learning experience.
“Our QAL volunteers are excited to share their industry knowledge and skills as part of this opportunity.
“We thank all who have volunteered their time and efforts into making this event possible and best of luck to all students competing in the tournament.”
