News and Events

Inaugural Harlem Middle School Robotics Competition on Saturday, November 17

11/17/2007

On Saturday, November 17, more than 80 students from public middle schools throughout Harlem will gather at 10 a.m. at the Frederick Douglass Academy on 2581 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, for the inaugural Harlem Middle School Robotics Challenge. Sponsored by Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Morningside Area Alliance, this event will be the first of many engineering challenges that allows teams of Harlem middle school students to face off with small robots they have built using Lego Robotics. The student-built robots will compete on a “course challenge,” where they will travel to and stop on each target point on the course. The robots will also compete in a drag race. Teams will be recognized for best design, best use of sensors, most creative robot, most team spirit, and best teamwork.
The Harlem Middle School Robotic Challenge Program is designed to facilitate interaction among middle school students using these interactive robot-building sets and provide students with a foundation in simple programming logic and engineering design skills. The students get to work on a shared goal in an environment that encourages teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students and their teachers work directly with Columbia engineering students during the program.

This inter-school competition is open to students from grades 6-8, who work with a mentor in teams of 4-8 students. Each school can send more than one team. These events are for beginner skill levels, allowing schools without any experience to participate.

In addition to Frederick Douglass Academy, teams of students from the Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science and Engineering, PS 125 (The Ralph Bunche School), M 195 (The Roberto Clemente School), and M 344 (The Academy of Collaborative Education) will participate in the challenge.

The competition is being organized by the Center for Technology, Innovation and Community Engagement (CTICE) at Columbia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science in partnership with the Morningside Alliance. Christian P. Aucoin, a graduate student in electrical engineering at Columbia and a CTICE Fellow, organized the challenge. Columbia’s engineering school provided each public school with a set of Lego pieces, computer hardware and software so they could build robots. Google Inc. has provided t-shirts and other prizes for all participants.

Columbia engineering school’s Center for Technology, Innovation and Community Engagement plans to continue these robotics competitions, in the hope that these middle school children will eventually participate in the national FIRST Lego League Challenge. A follow-up Harlem Middle School Robotics Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, December 15, 2007, also at Frederick Douglass Academy.

Frederick Douglass Academy is located at 2581 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard at 149th Street in Harlem. For directions, please call (212) 491-4107.