Students standing around an arena with a lego robot

More than 60 RPS students participated in the annual IBM Lego Outreach Competition (ILEO) on Wednesday, December 13th. Since October, students have been building robots made of LEGO bricks, motors, and sensors. Robots were scored based on their ability to complete challenges such as knocking down PVC tubs and flinging mason jar lids. The competition is part of a longtime partnership between IBM and RPS to expose students to genuine engineering experiences. The program is facilitated by volunteer mentors from IBM, many of whom work professionally as engineers and software developers.

About the ILEO 2023 Competition

Took place December 13th, 2023 at RCTC

Grades 4-12

Students practiced at after school club meetings since October 2023

  • 20 schools

  • More than 300 students (336 estimated by event organizers)

  • 118 teams total

  • Beginner, Standard, and Advanced divisions

    • Long term project that teams have been preparing for since October

    • Short term project that teams prepared at the competition

  • 70 teams in the Beginner division (The division in which most of our RPS students competed. It’s intended for first time participants. Some students tried the Advanced division.)

Total RPS participation: 67 students. Six schools.

Washington: 12

Kellogg: 14

Dakota: 17

Gibbs: 6

John Adams: 12

Willow Creek: 6

Competitive Success

A Willow Creek team, Cannibalistic Frogs, placed 1st out of 70 teams in the Beginner Division Long-Term Project, featuring Shea Collins, Jackson Goertz, and Sunghwan In.

A Kellogg team placed 3rd out of 70 teams in the Beginner Division Long-Term Project, featuring Joe Getchell, Nathan McClelland, and Cassius Porter.