Thumping music, youthful chatter and scurrying feet could be heard by James Buri, Karen Harrison and anyone entering the Engineering high bay at the University of Detroit Mercy, Saturday morning December 2, 2000. What was the source of the noise? It was the sound of nearly 125 middle school students accompanied by fifty (50) volunteer teachers and business people preparing to compete in the FIRST Lego League (FLL) robotics tournament.

Laptops were powered up with students huddled around them reviewing computer programs designed to maneuver their fully autonomous robots to victory. The student-assembled robots darted around practice playing fields as large as those used for table tennis. They were checking programs and practicing in anticipation of the real thing that started just before noon. Students demonstrated their pride by wearing tee shirts with catchy names like Robotics Rangers, Vetal VIPS, Robo Tech, Robotic Eruptors, and Lego Stars.

Would anyone have thought those early morning reverberations were Detroit Public school teachers, volunteers and students preparing for a science-based competition? This runs counter to a few commonly-held notions: the first that urban students shy away from mathematics and science and the second that many Detroit Public School (DPS) teachers are burned out by the challenge of working within a system fraught with shortages and bureaucratic issues.

Brooks Middle School science teacher, Ida Walker says, "I love it! They love it! They can't get enough of it! Ms. Walker is talking about robotics. She shared her passion for teaching the hands-on robotics courses to the two competing teams from Brooks. To land one of the twenty (20) spots in the robotics in-school program, students must be interested in design, technology and becoming scientists, reports Ms. Walker, who co-facilitates the Brooks FLL program with James Schoettle. "I have never had a problem with my students. We love robotics. We could do it everyday." She was not alone, other excited teachers reported the same thing.

The FIRST Lego League sponsored this all day event that showcased not only the technology skills of the middle school students, but also their collaborative and presentation aptitudes. Through a partnership between FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and the Lego Group, known for building toys, the program was inaugurated in 1999 with a mission to inspire interest in science and engineering among nine to fourteen (14) year olds. Using real-world context and hands-on activities, the students learn and apply their science skills. In one year the number of DPS middle school teams increased from two (2) to seventeen (17).

The program works like this: Detroit Executive Services Corps (DESC) assembles volunteers from the classroom and businesses. Student teams are issued Lego's Mindstorm Robotic Invention Systems 1.5 kits with which to build their small robot. Using the kits and their classroom learning, they develop five programs, which they use to guide their robot to fulfill their missions. Prior to the regional event, the students work for approximately eight weeks applying mathematics, science and technology skills to build the robot. Ultimately, teams compete playing on platforms built by volunteers at the College of Engineering, University of Detroit Mercy and develop computer programs. Volunteers judge each team, and they earn points in several areas. The finalists for this regional event then proceed to the state tournament.

Several stakeholder organizations were represented at the event. DAPCEP (Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program), which sponsored teams for the competition through its in-school pre-engineering program, realizes the potential rewards for a marriage of DAPCEP and FLL. As such, James Buri, DAPCEP's middle school program coordinator, worked diligently to involve many middle schools for this year's competition. Karen Harrison, Director, Office of Science Education, Detroit Public Schools coordinated the program with Mr. Buri. She recognized FLL as a tool to spark interest in higher level science courses, science careers, science fair and other extra curricular events.

The University of Detroit Mercy has a stake in the success of these students: the Engineering Department faculty is building a bridge from the middle school to the days when they will hopefully see a number of the students in their classroom. Then there was Jeffery Jones, an assistant to Mayor Archer and the Team Spirit judge for the event. He discussed how the mayor's office is working to build the FLL program into the DPS curriculum so that more students will have the opportunity to ignite and sharpen their science and technology skills.

This innovative program does more than teach science skills. It motivates students to excel, compete, and practice leadership skills by offering support and incentives represented in several judging areas: research, design, teamwork, creativity, spirit, and sportsmanship. It enhances the students' problem-solving capacities by building the annual challenge on a real science or technological problem facing human society. Surveys from the 1999 event indicates the FLL program increased children's interest in mathematics and science, provided information about careers in technology fields, and assisted in teaching such soft skills as time management, public speaking, and group dynamics.

Summing up the value of the program, General Motors' volunteer Ivan McEwan says his company backs this program whole-heartedly because, "We're concerned with the small number of engineers for the future, and college is too late." Interested middle school teachers should contact James Buri at the DAPCEP office or Karen Harrison, Director, Office of Science Education for information on how to get your students involved. If the program is not yet at your middle school, you can begin by increasing the school administration's awareness of this important program.

For more information visit website
http://www.usfirst.org