Fife College hosts global STEM competition at Kirkcaldy Campus

Local school pupils were given a unique opportunity to take part in one of the world’s biggest STEM competitions thanks to an event at Fife College.

The College’s Kirkcaldy Campus played host to the regional heat of a global FIRST LEGO League competition with pupils from several local schools taking part. 

Teams from Kelty Primary School, Inverkeithing High School, Colinsburgh STEM Club and Fettes College (Edinburgh) were challenged to build and programme an autonomous robot to complete a series of missions linked to the theme of ‘SuperPowered’.

With prizes on offer for robot performance, teamwork and innovation, the competition encouraged the development of key skills for future careers in STEM, including coding, design and research.

The FIRST LEGO League Challenge is part of Fife College’s School STEM Workshop offering which includes events such as crystal growing, coding clubs and forensic science experiences.

Facilitated by the College’s experienced lecturers, in first-class facilities, the workshops give young people hands-on opportunities within labs and classrooms to get them excited about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses and careers.

Yvonne Bayne, Academic & Quality Manager for Science Projects at Fife College, said:

“Congratulations to all the teams that took part in the FIRST LEGO League Challenge at our Kirkcaldy Campus. It was fantastic to see so many school pupils taking part.

“Fife College is committed to helping fill the STEM skills gap by encouraging young people to become interested in these subjects from an early age.

“Our school events, like the FIRST LEGO League Challenge, are a great way to do just that. By bringing subjects to life in an interactive and engaging way, these events can help young people make those important connections between STEM and real-world scenarios.”

Prizes were presented on the day by Stuart White, Head of Project Management at Network Rail, a supporter of the College’s STEM initiatives. Stuart said: 

“It was great to see such enthusiasm from all the teams as they took on the challenge. This hands-on approach gives the youngsters such a great insight not just into the technical aspect of the different challenges but also into the teamwork and collaboration that’s required to succeed in achieving their goals. Well done to the competitors and to Fife College for hosting”.