How Lego's Are Inspiring The Young Scientist

Picture this.

You wake up in the middle of the night thirsty and in a barely awake state you grab a glass of water and the unimaginable happens. You. Stepped. On. A Lego…

For a moment the world blurs into pain and you find yourself thinking of throwing away your kid’s full box of legos. Then you remember the energy and exuberance your child has simply by playing with the tiny plastic blocks. The kind of energy that reminds you of your own sense of playfulness. It reminds you how important being a kid can be.

In 2019 Lego is doing more than creating fun little blocks for your little one. In 2019 Lego has taken the idea of creativity and the company has aptly managed to weave it with science. They have created the FIRST Robotics Competition which I think is something that every child should have the opportunity to try out! FIRST Robotics is a non-profit organization for kids in grades K-12, and they encourage STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) learning for children of all ages.

The kids get to build a series of themed Lego blocks that centre around a real-world problem. While they still get to have fun using the colourful blocks, they also have to build a robot and program it for the competition! The program does not only encourage science learning but also facilitates an environment where teamwork is emphasized through a design project. In a world where science and technology are becoming more important daily, the FIRST Robotics program has found a way to teach life skills that may eventually lead to more job prospects and a deeper knowledge of how our world works.

My first experience with the Lego inspired program was in 2015 as a second-year engineering student in Dalhousie University where I had the opportunity to be a mentor to a team out of Truro, NS. That year the theme was animal allies and it highlighted the many ways that humans interact with animals. I worked with a team of 5 kids and together we got to build fun Lego animals that would later be used to interact with our robot. From there I got the opportunity to be a co-ordinator and finally a judge at the competitions. The sheer brilliance and ingenuity of what the kids can do is astounding!

The FIRST Robotics program has been able to achieve some phenomenal things. For example, 98% of the kids in the program reported greater awareness of the sciences and a whopping 87% of them has increased interest in doing better in school. The impact for young girls is even more fascinating. A survey taken by FIRST Robotics showed that females that participated in the program , showed 96% more interest in STEM-related careers as opposed to those who had not. In addition, FIRST alumni students were twice more likely to have interests in computer science, 3 times more likely to be interested in engineering and 4 times more likely to be interested in robotics in college.

Last summer I was given the phenomenal opportunity to attend the FIRST Robotics Weekend For Girls and it was a reflection of what can happen when we put a concentrated effort into building courageous youth who are confident in their knowledge. The weekend getaway was held at a beautiful conference centre in King City, Ontario. Upon arrival, the girls were treated to a wonderful lunch and a list of the days activities which included a fun scavenger hunt! The weekend was fun-filled and packed with STEM-related challenges, bonfires and the chance to chat with mentors like the President of John Deer Canada. Companies like General Motors were involved in design-related games that challenged the girls to think outside the box and be creative with their solutions. The event gave young girls a safe space to interact with each other and share their love of science while talking about all the problems they faced along the way. From my own experiences in school, I know there is a confidence that comes from being free to make mistakes and explore different ideas without judgment.

I wrote this piece as a way to encourage parents and mentors to take the extra time and find out what ways they can facilitate their kid’s learning for a successful future in a world fuelled by science. FIRST Robotics is just one of the ways this can happen and it really gives you a sense of what young people can do when given the time and space to be creative. It doesn’t have to be Legos, it can be books, posters or even games! It all ends up being about the confidence it takes to fail and persevere despite challenges.

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