Vex 2018

Scoil Ide team Kentucky-bound after Vex competition win

Life

11 April 2018

The team from Scoil Ide in Corbally, Co Limerick, has been named overall winner of the Dell Vex Robotics competition for 2018. The team will now go forward to the Vex World Competition in Kentucky.

The competition, run by Dell in collaboration with CIT, tasks teams of primary and secon-level students with designing and building a robot to play against other teams in a game-based engineering challenge.

The first Dell Vex Robotics competition for secondary schools took place in 2012 featuring 10 teams. This year 750 primary school students from 25 teams across seven counties qualified for the finals.

Last September, schools across the country were provided with a curriculum to run the preparation stages with the support of volunteers from Dell. Preparation with students has been taking place since September with scrimmages taking places in schools during November to prepare students for the competition phases.

Dr Hugh McGlynn, head of School of Science & Informatics at host venue CIT, said: “Primary school is the most formative time in a young person’s life and this competition is a great way to instil a lifelong interest in the areas of STEM by providing a fun, engaging, and hands-on opportunity to explore and experience it for themselves.”

The competition focuses on engaging children from a young age with students as young as nine- and 10- years-old designing robots. Typically, it involves full classes at primary level, meaning it engages all students and not just those who might already be tech-oriented. This is key to building that pipeline of talent that the technology industry needs to thrive. It also provides a wealth of opportunities to get involved within the community, from volunteers who provide mentoring sessions at their local school, to those who volunteer at an event as a referee, judge, inspector or more.

Full list of winners:

Robot skills champion – Scoil Ide, Corbally, Co Limerick
Judges award – Kilruane NS, Nenagh, Co Tipperary
Sportsmanship – Monaleen NS, Co Limerick
Teamwork champion award – Gaelscoil Thomáis Dáibhís, Mallow & Bandon Bridge NS, Bandon, Co Cork
STEM research project – Scoil Mhuire na Trócaire, Co Cork
Design award – Gaelscoil Thomáis Dáibhís, Mallow, Co Cork
Excellence award – Bandon Bridge NS, Bandon, Co Cork
Teacher of the year – Brian Allen, Scoil Mhuire Lourdes, Carrigaline, Co Cork
Volunteer of the year – Orla O’Brien, Dell Vex Robotics

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