First Lego League draws kids into STEM curriculum using play, sparking interest in robotics

Sitting on their classroom floor in small groups, the 4- and 5-year-olds worked to piece together their very own Lego playground.

One group added a slide; a green flag marked the highest point of another’s; one girl added Lego animals to her playground. After an hour, they proudly showcased what they all had built.

The students at Dunbar Early Learning Center in Hobe Sound are part of nearly a dozen afterschool programs across the Treasure Coast benefiting from a national First Lego League Diversity Grant, which helps provide robotics programs to students 4-14 who otherwise may have no opportunity to engage in STEM programs outside of school.

The grant, awarded to All About Achieving Learning Center — an education company on the Treasure Coast offering classes, tutoring and other education services in grades pre-k to college — enables students to engage with Lego products and learn from a STEM-based curriculum through partnerships between the center and local organizations and nonprofits.

The $30,000 grant, which paid for the materials and training for the center’s teachers, was meant to serve around 300 students, said Tina McSoley, All About Achieving’s founder. But an additional $20,000 donation from Genon Wicina and a partnership with the YMCA of the Treasure Coast has allowed it to provide programming to nearly 400 students already in its inaugural year, she said.

McSoley expects to work with around 600 children by the end of the summer.

A main goal of the six- to eight-week program is to spark interest in something new and engaging, said Christopher Kerns, a Lego League teacher and a member of the former Martin County robotics championship team. He was one of two teachers leading the youth members at Dunbar Learning.

Perhaps the more important goal, however, is to “show the students that anything is possible,” Kerns said.

That message rings especially true for Wendy Reynoso, Dunbar’s executive director.

Working with Legos from a young age can “really set the foundation for critical thinking, creativity and learning," said Reynoso.

The students, most from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and communities, can work with their hands to create and accomplish different tasks, she explained.

“You can’t be what you can’t see,” and working with Legos at every age can open students’ minds to what is possible and what they’re capable of, she said.

The program and curriculum are divided into three age groups: Discover, Explore and Challenge.

While the Discover group begins by engaging young students and encouraging them to work collaboratively on a shared goal or task, students at the next levels begin learning computer programming and coding.

For Kerns, instilling the fundamentals from a young age is key to opening doors for students to walk through in the future. Some high school students even have obtained scholarships for college or an internship for their work in robotics, he said.

“As long as they work hard, they can achieve anything,” he said.

Moving forward, McSoley hopes the program can continue even after the grant expires. Partner organizations were required to have a teacher present to learn the program in order to teach it in subsequent years.

Most of all, McSoley said, she hopes the exposure to Lego at any age can spark an interest and positively influence students' lives.

“The most interesting piece is watching kids who I’m not sure have ever touched a Lego sit and build and work collaboratively together,” she said. “It’s been really interesting watching students after a few sessions engage, talk and create things.”

Sommer Brugal is TCPalm's education reporter for Indian River, St Lucie and Martin counties. You can keep up with Sommer on Twitter @smbrugal and give her a call at 772-221-4231.