Halo Queens FLL Robotics Team Campaign

We are part of an all-girl Robotics team, and we were invited to represent South Africa in Bodo, Norway in May 2024 at the FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) European Open.

Any contribution will help ensure that our team will have access to the unique learning experiences offered by FIRST® LEGO® League Open European Championship and to invest this back in school communities in South Africa.

FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) is the largest science and technology competition for children and youth and is held in 110 countries. Every season culminates in tournaments around the world, and 50 of these winners are invited to participate in the world final in Bodø: FIRST® LEGO® League Open European Championship.

The challenge we are working on is called MASTERPIECE and focuses on technology and arts. Our team is engaging in research, problem-solving, coding and
engineering – building and programming a LEGO robot that navigates the missions of a robot game and we will be presenting our work and research project that was aimed to identify and solve a relevant real-world problem. 

We have identified that there is limited Robotics education/exposure in South African schools, and we identified that, to create a website can be a way that more learners at more schools can start Robotics. 

The website aims to let people:

• Learn how to start with Robotics, 
• See lists of schools which are doing robotics,
• Donating pre-loved, unused Lego robotics equipment 
• Know where Coaches can go for training. 
• Find Coaches with robotics experience, who are willing to volunteer to help Coaches at new schools start with robotics. 

Our team has been involved in demonstrations for the Akasia Primary school and has worked closely with a girls' team of the Vaal High and providing training at the UNISA Science and Engagement Robotics Workshop for teachers.

Achievements to date

Our team has competed at two levels of FIRST® Lego® League competitions to date: we won 1st place Championship Award and Second Place Robot Performance Award at the Gauteng South Regional Competition. We  were then invited to participate in the South African National Competition on 1-2 December 2023, where we won the 2nd Place Championship Award and finished 5th for Robot Performance (out of 47 teams).

We are now invited to represent South Africa at the FIRST® LEGO® League Open European Championships, on 13-17 May 2023 in Bodo, Norway

Description

Cost for 4 learners and 2 coaches

Team Registration

R20 000

Visas

R10 000

Flights and accommodation

R303 600

Teamwear - Team shirts, jackets, backpacks

R16 800

Travel costs (Inland - trains, buses or shuttles)

R15 000

Educational Places of Interest

R30 000

TOTAL

R395 400