Special to IFN
After winning first place in Core Values at the state competition held in Greensboro, Pine Lake Prep’s Jr. Robotics team, the “SPORKlings,” have qualified for an international competition in June.
In addition, Nora Degner won the youth mentor award at the state competition.
FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is a friendly, competitive robotics program designed for students ages 9–14. Beginning in August, teams of up to 10 students engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering as they design, build, and program a LEGO® robot to complete missions in the Robot Game. Teams also complete an Innovation Project in which they identify a real-world problem and propose a meaningful solution.
During this archaeology-inspired season, teams used STEM skills and collaboration to uncover new discoveries about themselves and their communities in order to help build a better world. FIRST LEGO League Challenge consists of four equally weighted components: Core Values, Innovation Project, Robot Design, and Robot Game.
For their Innovation Project, the SPORKlings focused on a major challenge archaeologists face—many do not have field-specific tools and must borrow equipment from other disciplines. Their solution, the Diverse Digger, is a multi-tool trowel with interchangeable attachments that allows archaeologists to easily locate and excavate artifacts. This innovative tool reduces the need to carry multiple tools and minimizes the time spent switching between them, making digs more efficient and accessible.
The Team
♦ Coach: Lara Michaud
♦ Returning members: Cora Boutet, Meesha Nayak, Ciyana Satapathy and Alice Shilmover
♦ New members: Keaton Michaud, Viraaj Nayak, Owen Oakes, Henry Ranallo and Nora Shilmover
♦ Retiring members/Mentors: Nora Degner, Rohan Verma, Tuhin Swain, Grant Degner and Elise Degner
Achievements & Community Impact
Beyond the robot table, the team created several outreach missions this year to help support our community. Team members assembled over 200 Hospital Hope Kits to donate to the Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, made ornaments for the families at the Ronald McDonald House, collected coats for the Christian Mission, and participated in the Back to School Bash in Mooresville.
Community Support
The team is asking for the community to help with expenses for the upcoming competition through sponsorships and donations.
Sponsorship Levels
♦ $200 – Advertisement and Logo on our Social media- Facebook, Instagram
♦ $300 – Advertisement and Logo on our Social media- Facebook, Instagram; Logo on our banner at competitions and community events
♦ $500+ – Logo on our t-shirt worn at community events and competitions, Advertisement and Logo on our Social Media- Facebook, Instagram
If you are interested in sponsoring us or have any questions, contact Carrie Hoke, our coach and school sponsor, at carrie.hoke@pinelakeprep.org.