By Carol Azizian
Special Contributor to The Review
ORION TWP. — Fourth and fifth grade students from St. Joseph School’s Mecha Mavs FIRST Lego League won first place for their innovation project in a regional competition in November at Bishop Foley High School.
The team competed against 19 other schools
The Mavs moved on to the statewide competition of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) a non-profit organization.
The team’s task was to identify and research a problem to solve, design a new solution or improve upon an existing one, create a model, drawing or prototype, share their solution with others, and communicate its impact.
After consulting with some experts, the team came up with a plan for clean energy. They recommended switching from electricity to solar in all homes in the U.S. so people could run at least a refrigerator and water pump. This was to provide for basic needs in case of a power outage.
The team discovered that the initial cost for most homes in this area would be about $20,000. Most could be recovered with the help of tax incentives from the State of Michigan and/or the federal government.
Students also made a working model of a solar home and a robot which they coded and operated to earn points in the competition. The national competition is in the spring of 2023.
At the state competition in Mason, the Mavs won second place for core values.
The judges’ comments included: This team displays extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit, knows they can accomplish more together than they could as individuals, and shows each other and other teams respect at all times.
Judges said the team was an “all-around great team” and praised the Mavs for project presentation and teamwork.