ROTARY HELPS STUDENTS WIN ROBOTICS COMPETITION
By Ardice Farrow, Denton Noon Rotary
Upon winning BEST in Innovation last weekend at The Regional First Lego League Robotics Competition, The Palapa School Robotics Club of Todos Santos, Baja Sur, has been selected to participate in the National Mexican First Competition.
As a result of a Rotary District Grant and the combined support of members of the Rotary Club of Denton and Pilot Knob Rotary Club, The Palapa School was able to launch its first Robotics Club with eight students in November 2022.
To prepare for the regional Lego competition, students were required to build and code their robots to compete in several challenges. The second part of the challenge was to “reimagine a better energy future,” identify a local energy and environmental problem and propose an innovative solution.
As electricity in Baja Sur, Mexico, is costly and production contributes to CO2 emissions, the students proposed an electrolysis plant to produce hydrogen and use it as fuel for the thermoelectric plant in La Paz, the capital city of Baja Sur. This solution would decrease CO2 emissions, reduce production costs and make electricity cleaner and more affordable to Baja Sur.
The student’s detailed, innovative, and doable solution won BEST innovation at the recent regional competition sending the team on to the National competition in late March 2023.
The Palapa School is a private certified Mexican Jr. Hi, and High School. It is focused on innovative STEAM curriculum and provides scholarships and financial support to local Mexican and Baja students. This is the first year The Palapa Society has participated in the First Lego League Robotics Competition.
All students, staff, families, and community are grateful to Rotary for helping to make this happen.
https://school.palapasociety.org/ https://www.firstlegoleague.org/
The grant was from the Pilot Knob Rotary Club and District 5790 and included our newest club transfer member Ardice Farrow.