Four teams of budding engineers from Foróige Youth Projects in Monaghan, Cavan, Dublin, and Longford have piloted the FIRST® LEGO® League Explore Programme for the first time within Foróige. The pilot concluded with a gathering at the new Monaghan Peace Campus on Wednesday, July 24, where these young talents presented their FIRST® LEGO® League MASTERPIECE℠ projects at the inaugural Foróige Explore Showcase.
This science and technology challenge, which is aimed at 7 - 12 year olds, tasks teams to create an innovative solution to a real-world problem using LEGO® to create a prototype of their solution, incorporating LEGO® Robotics.
This year’s MASTERPIECE℠ challenge asks FIRST® LEGO® League teams to imagine innovative new ways to create and communicate art across the globe using technology while demonstrating their skills in robotics, computer programming, teamwork, research, problem solving and communication.
Foróige Area Manager, Colin Mc Aree, shared that “Foróige Monaghan is delighted to have hosted the first-ever Foróige FIRST® LEGO® League Explore Programme Showcase Event here in the beautiful new Monaghan Peace Campus. The event celebrated the creativity and ingenuity of the young participants, highlighting their ability to blend artistic concepts with technological innovations. Each team presented their unique projects, reflecting months of hard work, collaboration, and learning. The showcase not only underscored the importance of STEM education but also fostered a sense of community and shared achievement among the young engineers and their youth workers. We see LEGO® as an intervention for young people that has extensive therapeutic qualities."
Foróige’s Director of Training, Programmes and Research, Sarah Haslam, shared how delighted she was with the success of this pilot project.
"The programme provides an incredible platform through which young people can showcase their talent, skill and creativity. The dedication, innovation and teamwork displayed by the participants was really inspiring. Each team brought their unique perspective and enthusiasm, making the event a true celebration of STEAM learning and youth empowerment. Foróige is immensely proud of all of the young people involved and we are excited to continue supporting their journey in robotics and beyond."
Dublin-based, CreativeHUT, is the regional organiser of FIRST LEGO League in Ireland, and founder Ross Maguire says the fun challenge inspires the new generation of budding scientists and engineers.
“FIRST® LEGO® League is a platform for students to discover the world of STEM and collaborate on real-world problems. These fantastic young people are taking the first steps to become tomorrow’s innovators, creators and problem solvers. It’s the idea that, by working together, we all win. It is not about building robots, it’s about robots building people.”
