Citywise education centre pick up national robotics award at the first Lego League
By Aine Stokes
CITYWISE in Jobstown brought a national robotics award back to Tallaght this week, while highlighting the true spirit of team work and winning, reports Aine Stokes.
Established in Tallaght in 2005, Citywise was set up to serve the educational, social and personal needs of young people living in the area, while proving participants with opportunities to help and lead others.
Last Saturday, students from the education centre took part in the Lego League for the sixth time since 2010, with Citywise enjoying much success in the creative competition over the years.
The First Lego League is an All-Ireland competition which, with 28 teams taking part this year, focused on Recycling and Reusing Rubbish as the theme for 2016.
Citywise had two teams taking part this year one primary school team called Mighty Munchers who worked on ways to reuse paper and a secondary school team, Sons of Citywise, who examined alternatives to re-use plastic.
There are four elements to the competition, the main element being Robot Game – which saw both teams create coded robots over recent months and demonstrate their computerised friend at the nationals in Galway.
Chris Smith, IT and Academic Manager at Citywise, told The Echo: “This element of the competition involves problem-solving skills, technical skills and thinking skills.
“Students can learn many high-tech skills from this programme, skills that are needed for many jobs and which will help students in the future.”
The Mighty Munchers made it to the quarter finals with their coded robot, while the Sons of Citywise were awarded the Gracious Professionals trophy, an accolade which they decided to share with the Mighty Munchers – who told judges how the older Citywise team supported them on their way to the league.
Chris said: “We see this as an amazing statement and testament to the young people who really care more about their other team members than claiming the win for themselves, the very definition of Gracious Professionals if you ask me.”
Citywise, which receives no government funding, runs many other academic and social activities throughout the week – thanks to community-based fundraising and support from local business.
Chris told The Echo: “I would like to thank SAP Software for its support and the Galway Centre for running the competition as it would not have been possible without them.”
For further information on Citywise and the programmes it offers, visit www.citywise.ie or call 4049736.
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