“Good Robot!”

By Amy Crelly

The Lego Guards, a local team organized through the Independent Home Study program of Placer County’s Office of Education brought home this year’s FIRST Lego League Northern California Championship. Quick-thinking and cool under pressure, the kids’ friendships with each other and their respect for their coaches also helped them succeed.

In 1989 the FIRST organization was founded to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology. One of their innovative projects is the Lego League. The FLL (FIRST Lego League) holds robotics competitions throughout the world for students ages 9 to 14. Teams are judged in four categories: Robot Design, Research Presentation, Teamwork and Robot Performance.

Twelve-year-old Alejandro Vega’s favorite part of being a Lego Guard is working on the presentation of the team’s research project. Being on the team has taught Alejandro quite a bit, especially about energy conservation. Perhaps more importantly, the experience has given him a certain grace under pressure. Al says he’s learned how to just have fun, even in the midst of heated competition, and “even when everything goes wrong and breaks down.”

Gavin Owens, also twelve years old, first learned about the team when he spotted a posting on a bulletin board, but he never dreamed how far the team might go. Gavin fell in love with robotics, and he says science is one of his favorite subjects.

Karl LeVezu (14 years old) is the team’s main mechanical engineer, which means he mostly works on the robot, but—like the rest of the team—Karl gets a chance to do everything, “not just one small little thing.” Karl’s coaches are also “Mom” and “Dad,” and he considers his teammates friends. “I often hang with them when not in a meeting.”

Justin Demma is 13 years old and glad to have been a Lego Guard for the last two years. “We got the best engineering award in the first competition and then we got 3rd place in Northern California State. This year we have done even better.” Progressing through the levels of competition has clearly been exciting and encouraging for Justin.

Fourteen-year-old Robin Moss is the team’s main programmer (and only female member). “This year definitely has been the best out of the three,” says Robin. “I've made new friends, learned a lot about alternative energy and just had a great experience with the team.”

Each member of the Lego Guards is quick to praise coaches Alan LeVezu and Heidi Buck. This is Alan's second year coaching the Lego Guards. He is the Senior Systems Engineer for IDAC West and has done Controls Engineering for some time. Alan also serves as the DJ for local school dances.

This was Heidi Buck’s first year involved with the Lego Guards. She is also the students’ art teacher (she teaches Visual Art classes at the PCOE Independent Home Study School) and is a professional artist. Meet the team and check out their YouTube video at www.legoguards.net.

The kids say they haven’t been able to program their robots to help them with their chores—yet. But you never know what breakthroughs they’ll make next. You can easily prevent summer brain drain and encourage your own “home team” with the latest LEGO® sets (robotic or otherwise) or whatever kind of learning kit sparks your child’s imagination.

Experiment!
LEGO® Mindstorms NXT lets kids (ages 10+) build and program their own robotic inventions,
just like FLL competitors—with thousands of creative possibilities.
$249.99

The LEGO® Road Construction Set builds imaginations in kids (ages 4+).
$19.99

The Ultimate LEGO® Duplo® Set is perfectly geared for little kids (ages 1½-5).
$19.99