Creative kids get a LEGO up

The program challenges youngsters to find inventive ways to help people's lives.
S IT A NASCAR PIT OR A classroom?
That's what one may ask upon walking into a classroom full of Girard Middle School pupils preparing for their first robotics competition.
"I see a problem, the wheel is loose," said 11-year-old Jared Senvisky. "Reduce the speed."
Jared and one his teammates, Dan Parson, tediously set out to solve the glitches in their robotics presentation.
Dan, who hails himself as the main programmer, helped design a robot that will assist people with physical disabilities. Climbing stairs, pushing in chairs and removing eyeglasses are among the feats that their machine must accomplish.
Despite the fact that their robot is having difficulty clearing the stairs and turning to feed the toy pets, Dan is confident that their program will work during the competition.
The team is involved in For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), an organization whose purpose is to bring science and technology to pupils of all ages. Competitions put on by FIRST challenges students to use science and machinery to solve real world issues.
FIRST's LEGO League is the little league of the FIRST Robotics competition, which facilitates contests for high school students.
Using the LEGO Mindstorms Robotics Invention System technology, participants are required to build machines and use technology to change the way people live their lives.
Answers in technology
As a part of their overall presentation, the Girard team also will showcase its idea of using metal bracelets to detect the onset of a seizure. It is clear that these pupils are taking common physical challenges and using technology as a solution.
Out of 35 pupil applicants, only seven middle school pupils were chosen to be on the team. On Saturday, the Girard FIRST LEGO League team will compete with 60 other teams from across the nation at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
When asked how his rookie team would fare in the competition, Coach Jamie Williams said the experience and interaction among the pupils is worth more than the win. The team members practice twice a week from September to the first competition.
"We've already succeeded by what we've already done," said Williams.
But in the background you can still hear Jared and Dan diligently tweaking the robot. And it is clear that while the experience is priceless, a victory is on their minds.