Home News 4H’ers Going to State in LEGO Competition

4H’ers Going to State in LEGO Competition

(LE MARS) — The NERDZ are going to state competition!  The eight Plymouth County 4-H’ers who participated in the Regional FIRST LEGO League Competition Saturday in Sioux City received top honors and will go state competition in Ames in January. NERDZ stands for Navigators of Extreme Robot Devices.  The competition on the regional and state level consists of three different challenges all trying to solve this years assigned problem: How can we make our food supply safer?  They demonstrate the results of their research through a LEGO robotics challenge, on-site team work challenge and presentation of a skit. At regional competition last weekend the group obtained the second highest robot score and received a Robot Design Award.  Team member Kara Albrecht told me at rehearsal last week what she’s learned while participating in this challenge.
 
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The groups research is focused on finding a way to alleviate salmonella contamination in pig holding pens before slaughter.  Their solution was to run aqueous ozone through existing water systems to wash floors and at the same time kill bacteria. 

This is the first time Plymouth County 4-H has been involved with the FIRST  LEGO League Competition. FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, sponsors a challenge for youth in 4th-8th grade each year. Brenda Welch, Youth Program Specialist with ISU Extension, says that she’s happy to be working with the FIRST organization.

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The members of team NERDZ going to state in the FIRST LEGO league competition are: Ote and Kara Albrecht, Morgan Boehme, Chance Irwin, Sally and Claudia Probst and Vivian and Renae Zynda.