Alisal Science Fair

Everything was a flash! The buzz, the people walking by, the happy and intrigued faces of elementary schoolers approaching a robot zooming around. The vibe of the Alisal Elementary School Science Fair 2024 was just too good to be expressed!

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On April 11th, 2024, TEAM X headed to Alisal Elementary School in Pleasanton, CA, to spread the fun of robotics and STEM at the school's science fair. The team arrived an hour early to set up. As early visitors were walking in, it was evident their eyes were on us. By 5 PM, the MPR was bustling with parents, students, staff, organizers, and the school principal - everyone was having a great time.

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Our TEAM X robot was placed on a mat and driven around to collect pixels (hexagon items) and drop them into a box, which was the biggest attraction for the students. Additionally, the team set up a presentation, trifold posters, and Lego Robots left over from when TEAM X previously participated in FLL (First Lego League), a robotics competition mainly for elementary schoolers. Parents, seeing their children so interested in our setup, also couldn't wait to learn more. The team explained to parents how their elementary schoolers could get started in FLL and how we could help organize and start a team for them. With our rich experience in FLL, we could offer mentorship and donate Lego parts to support the new teams and kickstart their robotics journey.

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Working hard until 7 PM, the team made a significant impact on many people that day. With over 75 people enjoying our booth, it wasn't hard to give ourselves a pat on the back for the success of the day.

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One of the greatest things that made this event successful was the interest sparked by the young ones at the fair. Most elementary schoolers were completely new to the field of robotics, viewing robots as a cartoon or simply not knowing a thing about robotics. However, when we allowed them to observe the robot and drop pixels on the mat for the robot to pick up, there was nothing more beautiful than seeing the elementary schoolers smile and be confident that they could join in competing in robotics.