LEGO Robotics Outreach Programme: Taking innovation to the community
Our East Campus was awarded a grant from the Google Data Center Community Grants Program to develop and implement a new LEGO Robotics Outreach Programme at the start of 2022. The goal for the new programme was to both empower our Middle School students with the skills needed to teach others what they have learnt about LEGO robotics, while also extending STEM learning opportunities to local Singaporean students in the community. LEGO robotics enables students to play with and develop valuable computational thinking and problem solving skills, and share that learning back in our community in a collaborative and constructive environment. The programme embodies the spirit of creative learning and problem solving, while encouraging collaboration beyond the walls of campus.
With the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, by May 2022, we were ready to pilot the programme. Ten student ambassadors from Poi Ching School (a Singaporean school a few blocks from East Campus in Tampines), joined a dozen UWCSEA East Middle School students during this pilot phase to engage in learning workshops. The students came together for a five-week robotics course designed and taught by the UWCSEA students. This experience served as an introduction to design thinking and computational systems.
Each week, the sessions provided a new learning experience and innovation challenge. The students benefited from the exchange and the opportunity to collaborate in a constructive and fun environment. The pilot sessions were designed to enable our students to become STEM mentors; to become accustomed to the software and hardware and give them experience in teaching computational and technology content to others.
“The LEGO Robotics Programme creates an
opportunity for our students to pay their
learning forward. They’re taking the things they’ve learnt, and now they’re able to mentor younger students from the community.
– MATTHEW WEAVER, Head of Innovation on East Campus
The sessions were also used to test and design the learning units and challenges, as UWCSEA prepares for the larger scale roll-out and engagement with more educational partners in Singapore.
“This grant really opens our doors to the local community,” says Weaver. “People outside of UWCSEA can come onto campus and feel that this is a local community hub. And when they come here, they feel they’re going to be looked after. Our students and staff are going to provide an experience for them to learn, have fun and collaborate and engage.”
The impact and opportunity for learning is dynamic, and also facilitates cultural exchange that deepens UWCSEA ties with the local community. The aim of this programme has always been to establish a well defined learning experience that not only serves as an introduction to design technology and computational systems, but also as a chance for students to develop more meaningful relationships, learn and exchange with our community partners. The programme has developed into a successful outreach model which is now an embedded part of UWCSEA East’s Service Learning programmes.
In the words of one of our Grade 8 student leaders of the LEGO Outreach Programme: “I think the most significant impact was the opportunity to live the UWC Mission. Sharing my developing skills with my peers and Service partners was an enriching experience that helped me understand the importance of living the mission .”