Hundreds of young students converged on Salmon Creek Elementary School in December to demonstrate their research and knowledge of biomedicine. The event was Body Forward, the 2010 challenge of the FIRST Lego League Qualifying Tournament.
In the Body Forward challenge, teams of nine- to 14-year-olds explored the cutting-edge world of biomedical engineering. Their task was to discover innovative ways to repair injuries, overcome genetic predispositions, and maximize the body’s potential.
Eight teams from Vancouver schools competed for the first time, but that didn’t deter their enthusiasm for the challenge. It was a chance to learn and make improvements for next year’s competition.
“Our robot kind of crashed,” admitted Knights of the Lego Table team member Garrett Cowdell, a fifth-grader at Chinook.
Working in teams, students engineered a robot to navigate a course of biomedicine missions. Teams also researched an “engineering meets medicine” topic, created an innovative solution, and shared it with a panel of judges. Students experienced technical creativity as they learned about mechanical design and computer programming.
Teams from Jason Lee and Gaiser middle schools were from the MESA—Math Engineering, Science Achievement—program.
“One of MESA’s goals is to provide enriching opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) for students,” said Armetta Burney, director of SW Washington MESA. “We want students to see themselves as future engineers and scientists, and exposure to robotics helps make that possible for our kids.”
“It’s so hands-on,” said Suzie Womack, Jason Lee teacher and coach. “The kids love it.”
