Lego league gets children thinking STEM in the North East

“This event is focussed on removing stereotypes and supporting inclusivity in STEM learning, to empower young people to explore robotics and innovative projects using the humble Lego brick,” according to accounting software company Sage, which supports the League. “The event spans four days and involves 53 schools, 85 teams, 80 Sage Foundation volunteers, 600 children and 138,724 Lego bricks, making it the region’s largest First Lego League event to date.”

“A few years ago, we started with 20 kids, and now we have 140 children attending Lego Robotics clubs after school – 48 of them are here today,” said Tweedmouth Community Middle School computing teacher Emily Ord. “At First Lego League our children don’t have to fit into a specific mold. The result is incredible – children who may not speak much in school engage with judges for 10 minutes. It’s amazing to witness the boost in confidence.”

The IET has supported the League with Sage since 2017, and Education North Tyneside is another supporter.

“There is a great need for young people with STEM skills to fill the next generation of engineering roles as the UK faces a nationwide skills shortage,” said IET education manager Hannah Rees. “We are excited to see such bright young engineering minds in the League.”

The League operates in 110 countries. In the UK it is for children from four to 16 years old.