If you are worried about the future of the US or the world, you need to attend a FIRST Robotics Challenge Competition. Your worries will dissolve into cheers for the moment and tears for the sheer beauty of kids doing amazing things – challenged and coached appropriately.
This year’s challenge isn’t quite the “hockey with robots” that we are used to. They have to stack bins and put a heavy container on top of them, a feat that challenges them to power great forces with intricate precision. It takes strategy, planning, and a lot of learning how to use power saws and drills. But the Great River School team 2491 No Mythic is hitting the challenge with great energy and determination. It’s also a lot of fun.
A study came out that says a little more about letting kids go off and do what might seem dangerous, even at an early age. It seems to fit with what I’ve seen at Robotics League.
