Against teams with years of experience, rookie team #4002 of the FIRST LEGO League showed their grit. The Mighty Mecha Knights, a team of 5th grade boys based in Ellicott City, Maryland, took first place overall in a state qualifying tournament on January 16, 2009 at Liberty High School in Eldersburg, Maryland.
“With a serious investment in the advancement of STEM programs regionally, and in the lives of those young students who would one day go on to college to become engineers and technology professionals, Capitol College is honored to co-sponsor the Mighty Mecha Knights along with Black & Decker and Alliant Techsystems, Inc.,” said President Michael Wood. “We are proud to be associated with FIRST’s work in developing the minds of our potential future students.”
In addition to the overall first place award, the team also won first place in the major category of teamwork, third in robotics, and were awarded first place honors in a separate competition called Penny Wars, during which students raise money to purchase phone cards for soldiers overseas.
“We are so grateful for Capitol College’s support of our team and this great STEM program,” said Phil Polefrone, coach of the Mighty Mecha Knights. “The judges and other teams were really impressed with the level of corporate commitment we received. Who knows, this group of kids just may figure out how to solve traffic gridlock one day.”
On Saturday, January 30, the Mighty Mecha Knights will progress to the Maryland State Championships held at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus where they will be competing against 68 other teams from around the state.
About FIRST LEGO League
FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League is a global program created to get children excited about science and technology. A hands-on program for ages 9 to 14 (U.S. and Canada), FLL develops Challenges based on real world scientific problems to engage children in research, problem solving, and engineering. The cornerstone of the program are the FLL Core Values, which emphasize friendly sportsmanship, learning, and community involvement.
Each yearly Challenge has two parts, the Project and the Robot Game. Working in teams of three to ten children and guided by at least one adult coach, teams have 8 weeks to: 1. Build an autonomous robot to carry out pre-designed missions in 2 minutes and 30 seconds 2. Analyze, research, and invent a solution to a real world problem The culmination of all that hard work for many teams is the participation in an FLL event – much like a high energy sporting event. Referees monitor and score the Robot Game. Judges review team presentations. An FLL event is a pumped-up environment with music and excitement that celebrates the work the children have done throughout the season.
Learn more about the Mighty Mecha Knights 2009 Smart Move Challenge