East Grand Rapids — In the crowded East Grand Rapids High School gymnasium, a group of third-graders cluster around a robotics table, watching their LEGO robot in action.
They cling to each other and hold their breath in anticipation as the vehicle they coded completes one — no, two — nope, make that three missions on the game board, nudging levers and pulleys on other LEGO structures.
The first action they expect. The second is totally unplanned. At the completion of the third task — also an accident — the students lose it, erupting in a cheer. Some of them, overcome with shock and excitement, crumble to the floor in a giddy heap.
The students, from Andrea Eggert’s class at Wealthy Elementary, made up one of 11 EGR third-, fourth- and fifth-grade robotics teams participating in a FIRST LEGO League exhibition event at the high school in early November.
The moment when the team’s robot unintentionally pulled off three missions at once was “really unexpected,” said third-grader Cameron Edsenge, but “it really boosted our confidence.”
Eggert, who’s also the team’s coach, shared in the excitement of the moment when the robot pulled off the hat trick.
“It’s a really exciting thing when you work so hard, but then sometimes there’s a happy mistake, and you end up getting more points than you thought you would,” she said.
‘When they go to real competition, … all the nerves are out, and the jitters, and now they get to focus on execution and what they really need to do.’
— East parent Dan Price
Simulating Competition
The exhibition, which was the first of its kind for the district, gave fourth- and fifth-graders a chance to practice ahead of the upcoming regional tournaments, said Director of Teaching and Learning Jason Hoogenstyn, who helped organize the event. For the third-graders like Eggert’s, the exhibition was the only competition they’ll see this year.
“The event is all geared toward giving kids an opportunity to practice in what would be a simulated competition experience,” Hoogenstyn said. “We want the third-graders to have the experience when they go to fourth and fifth grade, so that they can go to the competition having something under their belt and knowing what to expect.”
He added: “This is practice for them to work out the kinks.”
Another component of the exhibition is to continue to build the primarily volunteer-run robotics program at East, said Hoogenstyn.
“It lets parents know what this whole program is about, and it’s a really big community-building activity,” he said.
Teamwork, Adaptability, Innovation
Elsewhere in the high school gym, other teams were refining their robots, performing tasks and presenting in front of volunteer judges.
Lakeside fifth-grader Zoey Thayer and fourth-grader Grace McDermott said it’s the chance to problem-solve using technology that makes robotics so appealing to her.
“I love coding the most,” she said. “It’s so fun to see what you can improve on, see what’s wrong with it.”
“I really like that too,” said Grace.
Several seventh-grade student referees, like Claire Davies, were on hand to help out. Claire said she volunteered to participate because she enjoys mentoring younger robotics enthusiasts.
“If I can help other teams at the board, that’s good,” she said. “It’s a practice competition before their regionals in two weeks, so I can help them, give them tips at the board so they can do better at their actual regionals.”
Claire said she was impressed by the teamwork, adaptability and innovation the younger teams brought to the event.
Parent-volunteers like Dan Price were also present. Price said the exhibition helped assuage some of the anxiety that might strike prior to true competition.
“When they go to real competition, … all the nerves are out, and the jitters, and now they get to focus on execution and what they really need to do,” Price said. “We simulate that in a place where it’s safe to fail.
“It’s about making sure coaches and kids alike have a great experience, in that they feel supported. … That way, hopefully, they stick around. The kids stay in the program and the parents continue to volunteer.”
Hoogenstyn said the district plans to build on the success of the exhibition, gathering feedback from teams, coaches and parents, with the goal of opening up the event to the public in the future.
Read more from East Grand Rapids:
• Beneficiary organization helps East family find hope
• New director sees foundation as a ‘bridge’ between schools, community
