Mayo school win Lego League award

A Mayo school has won an award at the FIRST Lego League Submerged tournament, held in The Connacht Hotel, Galway.

The Aqua Guardians team from Balla Secondary School won the Innovation Project Award at the competition.

Heats of the hands-on robotics and problem-solving programme are taking place throughout Ireland, with teams of young people, aged 10 to 16, learning to think creatively, like scientists and engineers.

The fun challenges involve a robot game and research project, and this year’s theme will see Lego technology used to explore the layers of the ocean, bringing fresh ideas to the surface as students ‘sea’ into the future!

Teams will use technical and collaborative skills to explore life beneath the ocean waves in one of the planet’s most complex ecosystems.

Celine Fitzgerald, interim CEO of Research Ireland, commented: “We are delighted to continue our support of this competition through Research Ireland’s Discover Programme as it strongly aligns with the programme’s aims of encouraging participation in STEM and providing further access routes. By challenging participants to explore the ocean and its ecosystems in creative and hands-on ways, this year’s competition will lead teams to think just like engineers and scientists and build real-world skills in STEM."

FIRST is an acronym for ‘For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology,’ and FIRST Lego League inspires young people to understand and shape the world they live in, in a more sustainable and inclusive way, with the fun team-challenge a platform for students to discover STEM learning.