WAIMEA — For the third consecutive year, Waimea Middle School (WMS) robotics students will compete in the upcoming First LEGO League’s (FLL) State Championships Dec. 2 at Blaisdell Exhibit Hall in Honolulu.
While a WMS team has participated in the highly competitive state finals before, this is the first time two WMS teams have earned placement in the championships, taking second and third in the recent FLL district finals.
This year’s FLL season, themed Hydrodynamics, challenges students ages nine to 16 from throughout Hawaii and around 80 countries to think like scientists and engineers by developing a project that identifies and solves a real-world problem related to water: how to find, transport, use or dispose of it. They also must build, test and program an autonomous robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS technology to solve a set of missions in a robot game.
Throughout FLL’s season, students learn about and are expected to practice and demonstrate FLL’s core values, including celebrating discovery, teamwork and gracious professionalism. Teams are judged on these values in addition to their projects and robotic competence.
Due to student interest in robotics, WMS offers both an in-school robotics class and an after-school program, which features the First LEGO League challenge.
WMS’ two FLL teams, named Paniolo I and Paniolo II, are comprised of robotics student engineers Jordan Barcenilla, Lyle Hooley, Kaden McQuirk, Gael Saucedo-Mota, Eito Kawakami, Arel Urbanozo, Julia Bergan, Rovi Afaga, Minnow Benedict, Shaelyn Freitas, Armand Baril and Arianna Aceret-Liberato.
Paniolo 1’s project is about how to support reforestation efforts of Kohala Watershed using polymer technology to absorb moisture from the air and release water to ensure seedling growth and capture more fresh water for use.
Paniolo II’s project is about how to improve the watering of plants in the school’s Malaai garden by utilizing the STEAM building to create a rainwater catchment and irrigation system using soil moisture sensors to regulate flow.
WMS robotics teacher mentors are Nau’i Murphy, Jade Bowman and Tisha Gusman. Funding for robotics at WMS comes in part from a Kamehameha School’s STEAM grant.