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BILLINGS — A group of five eighth-graders from Ben Steele Middle School are preparing to head to the FIRSTⓇ LegoⓇ League, FLL and World Championships in Houston, Texas in April.
The Wildcats, as the team is called, qualified for the world championship in early February by defeating several teams from Montana in a two-part competition.
The first part of the competition is a Lego robot that teams code to complete a task.
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“We’re learning a lot about all kinds of robotics,” one team member, Jackson Stricker, said Wednesday.
The second part is an innovation project, where you design a solution to a real-world problem. The Wildcats created an “airpot.”
“It’s like a filter that you put in a pot, and you blow air through the leaves to filter the air,” Stricker said.
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Students learn how to code the robots they compete against, but the league also teaches other life skills.
“You don’t just do engineering at these tables, you get to come up with problems and solutions and help with community and public speaking. It helps kids grow, and it helps us grow a lot.” ” said Eli Budge.
They have also developed a strong friendship over the past two years of working together.
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“I think we have really great chemistry. I mean, we’re just like really inclusive and really great friends,” team member Junior Riley said. “I believe in my friends and I think we have a really good chance (in the tournament).”
Kim Busch, the team’s sponsor, said it’s great to see the kids grow in all aspects of their lives during their time together.
The team is raising funds to compete in the world championships, which will be held from April 17th to 20th, and is asking the local community for help in getting involved.
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“So we’re trying to raise a huge amount of money. I mean, the registration fee alone is $2,000,” Busch said.
They have a goal of about $20,000 by the time they get to Texas. They have currently raised less than $2,000 and hope to reach their goal of experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of competing against other kids their age from around the world. Click here to learn more about the team and how to donate.
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