Lawton Public Schools students save the ocean in FIRST LEGO competition

Lawton Public Schools students were on a mission recently – a mission to save the ocean.

While that may seem like a big task, it is easier when you have the help of teammates and the expertise of Redlegs for STEM volunteers from the United States Army. The mission was the FIRST LEGO League Robotics Competition and it was held at the Tomlinson STEM Arena at Life Ready Center. This was the first year LPS students are using LEGO robots as they transition from Vex Robotics.

The reason for the transition is simple, according to Doris Bielger, STEM coordinator for LPS.

“Why not LEGOs? LEGOs are more comfortable for students to use,” she said before the start of the competition. “Lawton Public Schools likes to stay ahead of the trends, and LEGOs are very popular. Kids love LEGOs.”

For the competition, students must come up with a problem, research it, find a solution and present their findings to judges. The presentation portion of the competition is new this year, Biegler said.

“It is nerve-racking for some,” she said.

The elementary and middle school students design, build and code the robots. The competition is laid out on a board with an ocean theme and the robots must complete missions in the least amount of time, earning points along the way.

The competition was a new experience for Wesley Sue Downey, eighth grader at Central Middle School.

“Our mission was to save the ocean and coral reefs,” she said before the competition. “I didn’t know so much was wrong with our oceans and how to help.” Part of her mission involved an oil spill. “I didn’t know animals were involved in oil spills.”

Downey was involved in helping code the robots to complete the missions. She said the experience has taught her the role robots play in problem-solving.

“They can do big projects to solve problems,” Downey said. “It is important so you can know how to use robots to solve problems. It helped me understand engineering and to be a problem-solver.”

Learning about robots is only one aspect of the competition. Forming friendships and learning to work together is another.

Downey said part of her job is to cheer on her team. Caroline Fabrega, MacArthur Middle School sixth grader, echoed that sentiment.

“I learned to work together and not get frustrated if something doesn’t work out,” she said. “Basically we wouldn’t have any of this without our team. You need a team to do the coding. You need your team when you get frustrated. It’s really fun to do this. You should try it. It’s pushing you past your comfort zone.”

Fabrega’s role was to help with the presentation because, “I love talking and explaining things. I’m a bit nervous and excited at the same time. I don’t want to do anything to embarrass my team.”

Students were not the only ones who discovered the value of teamwork. The competition was put on with the help of volunteers from the Redlegs for STEM group at Fort Sill. The Redleg volunteers, all active-duty military members with a background in artillery, helped set up the tables and also acted as judges for the competition.

“It’s nerds helping nerds,” is how Capt. Anastasia Bistro explained who the volunteers are. While Redlegs for STEM volunteers had a more visible presence at the competition, they also work behind the scenes providing resources for teachers in the classroom by discussing STEM-related problems with them.

“We help them think through problems from an engineering aspect,” Bistro said. “We make what they want a reality. This is super cool. STEM is growing. There are a lot of people in Lawton who want to make a change. We are glad we get to be a part of it.”

The recent competition was a warmup for the middle school students, who automatically qualified for regionals, which will be held later this month. Joining them will be two teams from Freedom Elementary, which won the local competition. A district-wide robotics competition will be held in January.