ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS
Robotics provides a hands-on method to build students’ critical thinking, collaboration, and engineering skills as they design, create, and program a custom-made robot and then compete against other teams in regional and world competitions.
Grace Christian School competes in two different robotics challenges – the First Lego League competition and Robofest.
The First Lego League competition challenges grade 6-9 students to gain real-world problem-solving experiences through a guided, global robotics program. The challenge is divided into four sections: the Robot Game (students design, build, and program a robot to complete various challenges on a large “game board”), the Innovative Project (students find a problem in their community, based on the year’s topic, develop a scientific solution, and present their solution to judges), the Robot Design Executive Summary (students present the engineering aspects of their created robot), and Core Values (student demonstration of gracious professionalism and “coopertition”). GCS has competed in FLL for the past 3 years (although one was cancelled due to COVID), finding great success. In 2020, they claimed second overall regionally, qualifying for the World Invitational Competition in California, USA. After a cancelled 2021 year, the 2022 team competed in a COVID-shortened year, claiming top spot in the Innovative Project category with their design of a new transport vehicle that could deliver supplies to Canada’s far north in an attempt to alleviate year-round food insecurity.
Robofest, developed by Lawrence Technological University, is a robotics competition for both junior high and senior high students that challenges them to create and program autonomous robots to complete different annual challenges. In the four years that GCS has competed in regional Robofest tournaments, four GCS teams have qualified for the world championships, including the 2018 team that was able to travel to the competition in Michigan, USA, finishing in the top-20 globally!
The students of Grace Christian School have established their place on the national and international stage as leaders in technology & innovation.
Students participating in robotics:
- Apply math and science concepts to real-world issues
- Develop writing, public speaking, problem solving, and time management skills
- Research and propose solutions to engineering challenges
- Discover different types of engineering and explore careers options
- Learn how their communities work and become better citizens
- Develop strong time management and project management skills
“This project has encouraged me to think about how I can impact my community and has prompt me to consider the possibilities of working as an engineer”
“I am honored to have watched my students see beyond what they once thought possible for themselves and to have embraced the challenges involved in becoming a visionary for the future.”
“This project’s value went beyond the classroom and helped us exceed our potential.”
