ISSUED: 17 November 2016
MEDIA CONTACT: Valerie Owens
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — Shepherd University is hosting a FIRST LEGO League qualifier competition on Saturday, November 19, in the Wellness Center. Sixteen teams consisting of students ages 9-14 are expected to compete. Each team can have up to 10 members.
The event is free and open to the public after 1 p.m. Winners will qualify for the state tournament that will take place December 3 at Fairmont State University. Members of the community as well as students from the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Shepherd faculty will serve as judges and referees.
Students will participate in a robot game and are judged on a research project, their robot design, and a teamwork challenge. FIRST LEGO League teams consist of 2-10 students and two coaches/mentors who guide students through the season. FIRST LEGO League gives middle school-age students an opportunity to challenge their math and science skills in an internationally recognized competitive environment. Some of the program’s goals are to encourage the students to build science, engineering, and technology skills, inspire innovation, and foster self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
For more information, contact Dr. Sytil Murphy, assistant professor of physics, at smurphy@shepherd.edu.
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