Volunteers are needed to referee robot games and access student work at Albany LEGO competition

A LEGO robotics event will put Albany school students to the test this month with organisers calling for enthusiastic volunteers to get involved in the fun by judging projects and refereeing games. Delivered by the City of Albany in partnership with Curtin University and North Albany Senior High, the FIRST LEGO League Competition will challenge teams of children aged nine-16 years to build and program autonomous robots and use innovation to solve problems. “This is the second year of a three-year funded project that the City of Albany is supporting to help bring a LEGO robotics and innovation event to Albany,” Curtin STEM outreach co-ordinator Tim Keely said. “LEGO, robotics, kids, STEM and innovation — you put those five together and it’s an appealing thing.” Mr Keely said that volunteers do not need to be robot experts. “I couldn’t program a robot to save my life,” he said. “But I can still be a judge because judging covers core values, creativity, kids being good and friendly team members. “If you’re interested in helping young people achieve their dreams, come along and volunteer.” Volunteers selected to judge the Innovation Project will assess the student teams’ research projects, provide constructive feedback and select winners, a role suited to anyone with a passion for innovation, creativity and problem-solving. Referees of the Robot Game will keep score and ensure fair play as autonomous LEGO robots complete an obstacle course, winning points for completing challenges. The Robot Game is competitive but not combative and teams can win bonus points for collaborating to achieve goals. Collaboration, Mr Keely said, will help ensure that the FIRST LEGO League Competition continues to grow and take place in Albany. “The real benefits of this are when the community comes together,” he said. “That’s when the magic happens, when the community gets involved, community engagement is key.” Anyone interested in volunteering can apply via the SEEK Volunteer website The competition takes place on November 22 and applications close November 10.