Kids and teens from eight local libraries will head to the central branch for a hyper-visual competition of wits, skill and STEM learning.
The kids worked toward this moment all spring long.
One-hundred-and-twenty young, creative, ingenious Brooklynites, ages 8 to 17, participated in this year's BKLYN Robotics League, and on Saturday, June 23, they will compete in Brooklyn Public Library's second annual Robotics League Championship to show us what they learned. The competition will bring kids and teens from eight local libraries to the central branch for a hyper-visual competition of wits, skill and STEM learning.
"The BKLYN Robotic League championship is the culmination of months of hard work," said Cheila Cruz, BPL's Technology Training coordinator. "Over the last few months, at library branches throughout the borough, young people have not only learned how to build and program robots but also about the value of team work and solving problems together."
The robotics program, supported by the nonprofit NYC FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), introduces aspiring scientists to computational thinking, programming and mechanical engineering, as well as the engineering design life cycle -- and more. Over the last couple of months, participants of the Robotics League Championship learned how to work as a team, compromise, make decisions, resolve conflicts, and identify and solve problems while building, coding and programming robots, culminating in regional championships.
The eight finalist from various Brooklyn Public Library branches will be competing against each other to find out who will be the BKLYN Robotics League 2018 winner. The theme of this year's competition's, Nature's Fury, is centered around natural disasters and how humans manage them. Each of the eight teams is challenged to build robots that can clear a fallen tree branch from a power line; lift a house to avoid flooding; and get ambulances and supply trucks to a safe zone. All robots for this year's championship are built with LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, which combine LEGO elements with a programmable brick, motors and sensors.
"On Saturday, the kids will show off their skills in a loud and spirited championship and we can't wait to see what they do," said Cruz.
If you can't wait either and want to cheer for your neighborhood team, you should make your way to Brooklyn Public Library's central branch at Grand Army Plaza this Saturday, June 23. The showdown will kick off promptly at 11:00am!
