Queens Library is developing a new program to introduce kids in our community to engineering projects that they will tackle through innovation and teamwork.
Children in grades 4-8 can join LEGO robotics teams at eight participating libraries and become part of the Queens Library Robotics League!
The League is being created in partnership with NYC FIRST, an organization that runs hands-on, project-based STEM education programs and robotics competitions for thousands of K-12 students across the five boroughs.
This past December, Queens Library staff participated in a two-day workshop presented by NYC FIRST to learn how to build and program LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robots.
Teams of staff members from the eight branches (Baisley Park, Bayside, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens Hills, McGoldrick, Queensboro Hill, Rochdale Village, and Whitestone) then competed in an INTO ORBIT FIRST LEGO League Challenge at the end of the workshop.
“It was so exciting to be part of the LEGO Robotics class—the challenge of putting together the robot and learning to program it relied on real teamwork between myself and my partner, children’s librarian Lucy Pastorello,” said Rosemary Kiladitis, Queensboro Hill’s Assistant Community Library Manager. “We could easily see how the kids are going to have to work together to learn and compete.”
“The instructor was so patient and knowledgeable, and really took his time teaching our group to get the basics down so we can get our kids programming,” she continued. “And the INTO ORBIT Challenge wasn’t about winning; it was a glimpse into what the kids will need to do in competition—and a great teambuilding exercise!”
The Queens Library Robotics League is made possible with a grant from the Queens Library Innovation Fund. Created by the Queens Library Foundation, the fund supports innovative projects and ideas that advance the goals and spirit of the Library’s strategic plan.
Please contact one of the participating libraries for more information about joining the Queens Library Robotics League.
We’re excited for the future of robotics at the Library!
This is just one of the great stories you can read in the March/April 2019 issue of Queens Library Magazine. Pick up a copy today!
