Moreland Elementary robotics team is finalist in regional challenge
Moreland Elementary School’s robotics team – the GYSTC Explorers – finished as a finalist in the First Lego League Food Factor Challenge, hosted by Columbus State College on December 3rd.
The GYSTC Explorers won first place in the Robotics event and in the Research Presentation event. The team ranked fourth overall, and the top 7 teams move on to the Super Regional which will be held at the Air and Space Museum in Warner Robins on January 7th.
The team – sponsored by Moreland and the Georgia Youth Science and Technology Center (GYSTC) - is the only elementary-age robotics team in the Coweta County School System, and were among 24 teams from across Georgia to compete in the Columbus State College event.
The competition requires teams to build and operate Lego robotics, identify food contamination problems and present a solution based on team research. The groups are judged on core values of teamwork, team spirit, how effectively their robot performs on a challenge course and student interviews about design and programming.
Robotics has proved to be a popular field among the county’s high school students – through the Central Educational Center’s program – and middle school students. GYSTC Director Debbie Stuckey approached Moreland math and science teacher Craig Exner to begin the county’s first elementary-age team. Exner has experience teaching robotics through classes sponsored by GYSTC in Coweta and throughout the region.
“They began meeting on the evenings here at Moreland, and attracted a lot of interest from our students,” said Moreland Principal Beverly Yeager. “Their first competition required a lot of research and preparation. They’ve not just met after schools throughout the week, and they even met over the Thanksgiving break to prepare for the meet.”
“I am so incredibly proud of the team and what they did in their first competition,” said Yeager.
“These coaches and students have dedicated an extensive amount of time building the skill base to design, program and test these robotics,” said Yeager. “We hope this will provide these students a good basis in robotics as they move into middle school and high schools.”
Moreland Elementary School’s GYSTC Explorers robotics team finished as finalists in the First Lego League Food Factor Challenge, hosted by Columbus State College on December 3rd. Team members pictured are, left to right, front row, Nick Burkey, Jack Carroll, Luke Morgan, Braden Ray, Beck Glover, Al Robertson; second row Coach Craig Exner, Assistant Coach Tyler Sisk; third row Benne Wagner, Ian Henshaw, Ben Sandstrom, Sam Moran, Zane Exner.
Moreland Elementary School’s robotics team meets in the evenings, preparing for a table-top robotics challenge like the one pictured above.
