4-H'ers test engineering skills at state contest

With team names such as "Super Nerds," "Some Assembly Required," "Usain Bot," and "Terror Bytes," you knew the event was going to bring hi-tech excitement, laughter and adventure all day long.

Participants in this year's Illinois 4-H State Robotics Competition didn't disappoint the crowd of nearly 1,000 people who filled the east gym of the Athletics & Recreation Center on the University of Illinois campus May 2. More than 50 4-H teams competed in this year's robotic game of skill; each programming one or more Lego Mindstorm robots in simulated Olympic sporting events.

"It was exciting to see the variety of fields and robots teams brought to the event," said Bob Smith, U of I Extension 4-H robotics educator. "This year, there were no restrictions on the materials which could be used, so teams got really creative when designing their robots and their playing fields."

The more events the robots completed successfully, the higher the "table score" portion of the competition for teams, but performance of the robot was only part of the competition, Smith said.

"Although we want youth to learn programming, it's just as important for youth to learn teamwork skills in order to come up with solutions to the challenges they may face in the real world," Smith said. "Youth have to learn how to work together in order for their team to have the best possible outcome at the event, and in life."

Thus, for part of the competition, team members received a challenge and had to work together, on the spot, in front of a panel of judges, to think of and implement a solution. This year's challenge was to create a tower using only balloons, duct tape, and pieces of cardstock paper.

"The teamwork skills that youth learn in their robotics clubs will serve them well in their future careers," Smith said. "Only with solid teamwork, good engineering abilities and strong programming skills can teams win the top championship award."

In addition, teams had to "defend" the design of their robots to a separate panel of judges, describing the steps they took during the design and programming process and noting how each team member contributed to the overall project.

The 4-H robotic project has seen phenomenal growth in its short history with Illinois 4-H. Of the nearly 360 participants, 130 youth have been working in a 4-H robotics club less than one year. The Science, Technology, Engineering and Math enthusiasm also is spreading rapidly to rural areas of the state with 115 first-time participants this year coming from outside the Chicago area.

This year's contest increased in size by 150 participants over last year.

"It was also encouraging to see that 25 percent of the team members this year were female," Smith said.

This year, 8 percent of the participants were African American, and 15 percent were Latino youth, rates which Smith said are higher than the university enrollment ratios in STEM-related college majors.

"Many of the kids are coming to the U of I campus for the first time," Smith said.

Illinois 4-H robotics project enrollment has nearly tripled in three years with 5,000 youth self-selecting robotics as their field of study in 4-H, and the number is expected to go even higher in 2015.

Every contest needs judges, and more than a third of the judges for this event were current U of I students; some of those members of the iRobotics student organization. In addition, 15 percent of the judges were high school 4-H members with advanced knowledge of engineering and programming. The remainder of the more than 75 judges and assistants were U of I faculty and Extension volunteers.

In addition to the competition, several campus and area organizations held hands-on activities for the participants and their families. The Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab, a nonprofit organization promoting STEM education, demonstrated several tech applications, from 3-D printing and computerized sewing to laser cutting and graphic design.

U of I's crop science and aeronautical engineering departments showed students what a career in their major could include for these tech-savvy teens. And, U of I Extension showcased many of their popular youth programs, from environmental stewardship to healthy lifestyles.

Featured attractions for many of the attendees were the robot demonstrations provided by the advanced 4-H robotics clubs, most of whom participate in "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology" (FIRST) competitions. Robots at this level complete complicated tasks, such as stacking, collecting objects and moving items. 4-H members on these teams inspire the younger members.

"Our young participants look up to these advanced 4-H members," Smith said, "and the teen mentors respond by taking time to explain how they built their robots, how they solved programming problems and why robotics matter in today's world.

"These 4-H members will have their pick of colleges and their pick of job offers," Smith said. "They have learned to work on projects as a team and to communicate effectively with others."

4-H is the youth development program of U of I Extension and engages nearly 200,000 youth annually. One 4-H activity, Junkdrawer robotics, challenged youth to make something creative out of items they might find - you guessed it - in a drawer full of "junk" odds and ends. This type of creative activity is often a stepping stone to higher thinking and problem solving needed in today's STEM careers, Smith said.

"Today's event allowed youth to show off the work they have put into their robots over the past three months," Smith said, "and we congratulate them all, regardless of their final placing."

The event received partial financial support from a gift provided by AT&T to the Illinois 4-H Foundation. Some of the teams received local support through a National 4-H Council grant provided by Altria.

For more information on the 4-H program in your county, visit web.extension.illinois.edu/dkk/.