‘A dream come true’: Cork pupils US-bound for robotics championships 

Excitement is building in Mahon as a group of pupils from sixth class in Scoil na Croise Naofa prepare to fly to Dallas, Texas, this weekend to represent Ireland at the VEX Robotics World Championships.

The competition centres on a game, which was revealed at last year’s World Championships. All competing teams have to design a robot that can play the game.

“We will basically have to read over the rules and say, right, what can we develop in our design that will combat this game and score as well as we can?” says ICT Mentor and sixth-class teacher Dave Hayes.

He has spearheaded the programme since 2015.

“I have a massive hobby in Lego myself, and I thought, this is very like that. It’s something that would be brilliant for the school, because it’s kids working with their hands, problem-solving, breaking it up, putting it back together.”

He had to learn robotics on the job, and he’s been impressed by what the students have achieved.

“I think back to 2015 and that basic robot that we built. We were measuring it to go forward, backwards, turn 90 degrees,” he says. “And to what the kids are now achieving. They double-check things with me, but they drive on themselves, and what they’re able to do and produce is amazing.”

This is the fourth time the school has won the national competition.

“We’re a medium-sized school, 200 kids, it’s just brilliant,” says Mr Hayes.

“It just shows that these kids, once they put their minds to it, can drive on and do whatever they want.”

The school introduces the basics of coding to children from junior infants, and Mr Hayes believes this instils confidence in them from an early age.

“It just shows the kids that education isn’t going to stop when you finish secondary school, and you can push on. You can see these careers of engineering, tech, programming.”

Maiia Bitkova, 11, is a sixth-grade student and member of the robotics team. She moved to Ireland from Ukraine two years ago. As well the challenge of moving to a new country and school, she has learned about coding and robotics in her second language. Her favourite thing about robotics is driving the robot.

“There is a controller and it has buttons, and the buttons do something on the robot,” said Maiia. “Some buttons do the spinner, the intake with the rubber bands, and the other ones do the shooter, the fly wheel that shoots the ball and can control speeds.”

There was a bit more paperwork for Maiia and her team-mate Glib, also from Ukraine, to be able to travel. “We can’t just get the [flight], we have to go to the embassies, because we’re from another country, and get visas. We have done that already, so it’s fine,” she says.

It will be a big adventure for Maiia, travelling to America without her parents. “I don’t feel normal without my parents, I’m going to be the only person [in my family] who has been to the other side of the globe, America, that side,” she says.

It took a few attempts to build the right robot, explains sixth-class student and team member Dean O’Donovan, 11. “We built three in total. The first one we didn’t really like, because it wasn’t very consistent,” he says. “Then our second one broke the height limits, it was too tall. Then the third one, which is our one now, we just looked at all different robots from YouTubers and different schools and our old robots, and kind of just brainstormed and put it all together.”

There have been challenges, but the team’s attitude is to try again and work together to solve problems.

“Just don’t give up, because there’s always a solution,” says Dean.

He is looking forward to the trip. “I’m really excited. I’m just nervous about the flight because I just hate long flights. But I’m really excited because I always wanted to go to America, and especially Texas,” he says.

The school previously qualified for the World Championships in Kentucky in 2020, and raised €30,000 through a GoFundMe for the trip. It was a blow for the staff and pupils when it was cancelled. “Covid happened, it got cancelled. We had to refund everybody. And the team were devastated. The school was devastated,” says Principal Ciara Bowe.

With the support of the Board of Management, they were given the green light to send a team this year. A combination of local business sponsorship and fundraising donations made it possible. “The majority of the funds this time have come from the corporate side of it. There were some funds that people had left with us after the last time. Not everyone accepted their refund, which was lovely,” says Ms Bowe.

As well as Mr Hayes, the team will be accompanied by teachers Brian Connaughton, Shane O’Connell, and deputy principal Ciara Barry.

The whole school is proud of the team.

“We’re incredibly proud of them. They work very hard – the teachers that are involved in it and the children that are involved in it.

“Every year, there’s a new team decide to join up, and it’s usually mainly done on their own time outside of class,” says Ms Bowe.

“It’s once in a lifetime opportunity for everyone,” she says. “We are a DEIS Plan 1 school, children don’t often get these sort of opportunities. And so we’re thrilled that we’re able to make a dream come true for a lot of them.”