Bay View Academy Girls Win the RI First Lego League (FLL) Competition

Jan. 16, 2011 - PRLog -- The Rhode Island FIRST LEGO League Championship Tournament culminated in a stiff competition at Roger Williams University campus in Bristol RI, on Saturday January 15th. The public crowded the field house to watch elementary and middle school teams from all over RI and MA put their research presentations and robotic designs to work.
Bay View, an all-girls squad, and all the other competitive teams showed off their skills in problem solving, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics . This year the teams were charged to build an autonomous robot to carry out pre-designed challenge missions in matches lasting 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Then analyze, research and invent a solution to a real world problem in the Biomedical or Biotechnology field.
Fifty-eight teams competed for a chance to take on the teams from thirty different countries at the FIRST Lego League World Festival on April 27-30 in St. Louis, Missouri and the S.M.A.R.T. team from Saint Mary Academy Bay View carried the day. Each member from the S.M.A.R.T. squad also won $5,000 scholarships, renewable for four years, to Roger Williams University, which hosts the FLL competition.

First LEGO League is a global program created to get children excited about science and technology. Students between the ages of 9 and 14 solve challenges based on real world scientific problems. The S.M.A.R.T. victory certainly proves girls can not only love science and technology, but also excel.

S.M.A.R.T.’s innovative research idea is to design a pair of glasses with LIDAR sensors to assist blind people and allow them to be independent.  The sensors, using light detectors and radar, would continually scan the area to determine if an object were in the way of the person wearing the glasses.  If an object or change in elevation was detected, a signal or voice (like a GPS) would be transmitted to an earpiece attached to the arm of the glasses.  Additionally, the glasses would be charged by solar, much like calculators are.  

The team robot, Becky as they call it, had a few minor problems in their first round of competition.  The girls returned to the “pit” area for some minor programming adjustments and were thrown into their second match after rushing back from call-back judging.  The girls and the robot had a great run and moved  into third place, where they finished the day, in the robot challenge.  This, along with their impressive presentation and technical skills, in front of some fifty judges brought them the 1st Place Champions Award.

Linda Grasso, Technology Instructor and coach for the Bay View Elementary and Middle School team, along with co-coach Erica Cross were very excited by the victory. “ We are so proud of this team! These girls have worked so hard and logged  many hours of practice  to carry out the task given and make their creation shine among of field of such strong competition.”  She continued, “At Bay View we continue to develop a rigorous science, math, and technology program specifically designed to build our girls into critical thinkers who will be ready for the new global economy. These girls achieved much today for themselves and girls everywhere.” Cross agreed, “Today was about hard work, smarts, creativity and a little bit if girl power!.”



About Bay View Academy
St. Mary Academy-Bay View is an independent Catholic School for girls, Pre-kindergarten through Grade 12, located in east Providence, Rhode Island. In existence since 1874, Bay View endeavors to provide a quality education, permeated with the compassionate ideals of Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, in order to prepare young women for the challenges of the global community of the 21st century. St. Mary Academy–Bay View is a college preparatory school accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. It was founded by the Sisters of Mercy and has been providing a superior education to girls and young women for more than 130 years. Bay View offers a values centered curriculum based on tradition and inspired by innovation. There are currently nearly 810 students enrolled in grades Pre-K-12. The academy is accepting applications for the 2010-11 school year, contact Betty Sepe, Director of Admissions at 401-434-0113 ext 150 or for more information www.bayviewacademy.org

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