Sunshine Coast Grammar School’s robotics teams have made an impact in recent competitions, earning invitations to the upcoming National Championships in Gladstone and Sydney.
Year 7 – 9 students showcased an innovative underwater autonomous vehicle at the FIRST LEGO League Regional Competition, which earned them the prestigious Robot Design Award. The team’s strong performance in the robot runs also secured them third place, earning them a place at the National Championships in Gladstone later this month.
FIRST LEGO League introduces science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to students through fun and exciting hands-on learning and provides real-world problem-solving experience.
The school’s Year 11 robotics team also earned national qualification as they showcased their high-level technical abilities at the FIRST Tech Challenge over the weekend. The team are new to the arena and delivered an outstanding performance, finishing second overall and receiving praise in the technical judging phase.
The team designed, built and programmed their own robots and competed in a head-to-head challenge against other teams. The senior students demonstrated resilience and skill against experienced competitors, which highlights their dedication and potential as they look to fine-tune their robot for the national competition.
Adding to the excitement, Year 5 – 6 students are preparing for their FIRST LEGO League competition on 16 November, where they will present innovative ideas for ocean exploration and tackling complex robot challenges.
Mr Justin Pembroke, Head of Digital Innovation Prep – Year 10 and Ms Brenda Gahan, Head of Extended Learning Prep – Year 10, have been instrumental in guiding these young engineers and emphasised the importance of these competitions in building creativity, resilience and critical thinking.
“The students have risen to the challenge and I’m incredibly proud of the hard work they’ve put in,” said Mr Pembroke.
“The upcoming competitions are a stepping stone to further LEGO League challenges and we are excited to witness our students showcase their innovative skills in design and coding on the national stage.”