Area students tackle trash Saturday during UA’s annual FIRST Lego League Challenge
Nearly 200 middle school students from throughout northeast Ohio will present their solutions to tough trash troubles this Saturday at The University of Akron as The LeBron James Family Foundation College of Education and the College of Engineering host the annual FIRST Lego League (FLL) District Tournament. The competition requires the 29 participating teams to choose a piece of trash and identify and solve a problem with the way it is currently handled, focusing on the way it’s made, transported, stored, or turned into something new.
An example of this innovative problem-solving comes from a team of seventh grade girls from Harmon Middle School in Aurora whose proposed solution could not only result in a zero paper-waste school, but also eliminate harmful polystyrene lunch trays, a material known to have negative health and environmental effects.
To reach this ambitious goal, the team, called Smart Cookies, suggests that school Eco Club members shred paper trash that would be normally be recycled, blend with water, and place in molds to produce lunch trays. After the trays are used in the cafeteria, they could be composted with vegetables and fruit to fertilize the gardens.
According to the team’s research, the average school uses 360,000 pieces of paper per year, and a total of 5.76 billion polystyrene trays are used every school year.
The FLL team Smart Cookies, from left: Jazmin Rodriguez, Rachel Smith, Sarah Robb, and Kristin Jakosh.
“Our project solution for this year is very practical,” says team member Jazmin Rodriguez. “I hope schools can implement this and solve two problems at once – and help save the Earth, our home!”
About FLL
A program for children ages 9 to 14, the FLL competition challenges participants to build LEGO-based robots that complete tasks on thematic playing surfaces. Participants also research and present innovative solutions to current, real-world issues.
“Research has shown the importance of engaging students early, especially in middle school, in STEM-related activities,” says Donald P. Visco, associate dean in UA’s College of Engineering. “FLL provides an important outlet for students in this age range to explore design and the relevance of technology in a fun, hands-on way. This makes STEM career paths, such as engineering and technology, more attractive.”
This Saturday, student participants will present their innovative trash trek projects, hear from David Held, the Executive Director of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Recycling District, then compete during the table top robotics portion of the event, which is open to the public. The event is open to the public and begins Saturday, January 9 at 12:30 p.m. in the UA Student Union ballroom.