Purdue Calumet hosts robotics Lego qualifying tournament Dec. 6

Sixteen northwest Indiana middle schools will compete in the FIRST Lego League Indiana global robotics qualifying tournament, Saturday, Dec. 6, beginning at 11 a.m. at Purdue University Calumet’s Fitness & Recreation Center.

Sponsored by Purdue Calumet’s School of Technology, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is intended to promote enthusiasm for discovery, science and technology among school age children 9 to 14-years-old. Each year, FIRST Lego League teams embark on an adventurous challenge based on current, real-world issues. This year’s challenge is called Climate Connections.

Participating students have researched how climate affects their community, identified a problem related to climate in their area, analyzed climate data about the problem, and researched what their community is doing about it. During the qualifying tournament, the school teams will present their research and solutions to a panel of judges and build an autonomous robot using engineering concepts, while racing against the clock to complete specific criteria.

Student teams participating in this year’s competition represent elementary schools Wallace, Hess, Lincoln, Morton, O’Bannon, Lafayette, Kenwood, Irving and Columbia of Hammond; Jane Ball of Cedar Lake; West Clay of Carmel; Crown Point Christian, as well as middle schools from Whiting and Gavit, Scott and Eggers of Hammond.

The top ten qualifying teams will advance to state competition at Indiana University/Purdue University-Fort Wayne, Dec. 13.

Purdue Calumet’s Fitness & Recreation Center is located one-third mile north of Interstate 80/94, three blocks east of Indianapolis Boulevard, north of the traffic light on 173rd Street. Free parking is available in front of the building.

News Release Date: November 21, 2008