Vision
Imhotep’s Legacy Academy’s FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team, “Legos R Us” has been nominated, as an Acadia Robotics Championship awardee, to attend the 2024 Western Edge FIRST LEGO League Open.
This year, the finals will be held in Long Beach, California from May 30 – June 2, 2024, and the FLL students have a chance to be recognized, gain valuable experience, and win funds towards improving their prototype.
This year’s FLL project is the StylusX pen. This idea was generated as an artistic outlet for visually impaired individuals. The pen uses 3D printing filament and outputs what the user draws. With many functions to assist with drawing and creating art, this is a useful tool for those that may be limited by vision but also anyone who interested in drawing. The Global Innovation Award (GIA) judges reviewed a synopsis of their project and were very enthusiastic about their solution.
This opportunity will be an amazing experience for our FLL students, providing them with advice and access to resources relevant to pursuing their innovative solution and building life-long innovative thinking skills, such as marketing, intellectual property, presentation literacy, and so much more. It will also build confidence in their own capacity, and drive them to success in school and extracurricular activities.
Story
Imhotep’s Legacy Academy (ILA), an initiative between Dalhousie University and various community partners, provides programs intended to support and enrich the knowledge of S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects amongst students of African heritage in grades 6 – 12 throughout Nova Scotia. The FIRST Lego League program is one of our core programs which exposes the students to robotics programming, systematic problem solving, and instills core values like team work and professionalism.
This year our team participated at the NSCC Ivany Campus practice competition which helped them gain valuable feedback ahead of the Regional competition held at Acadia University. At the Acadia Robotics Regional Competition, our team won the Core Values award and ranked 3rd overall in the Champion category. The team developed an innovative solution to create an outlet for visually impaired persons, named the StylusX pen.
Despite numerous roadblocks, the team worked together to develop the StylusX. The team meets and works on their solution 6 hours a week with the FLL Mentors. When sessions couldn’t be held at the schools, they devoted their weekends to ensure that the solution was up to par. This trip will provide them with proper recognition for their efforts and give them an experience they will never forget!
Strategy
Substantially funded by Dalhousie University and working out of the ILA Learning Centre on the Sexton Campus, Dalhousie University students are hired to serve as mentors to junior high and high school kids in the HRM through Imhotep’s Legacy Academy (ILA). ILA has four core programs which provides support and engages students of African heritage in STEM studies from grade 6 to their post-secondary education at Dalhousie University. ILA Board members, majority of whom are Dalhousie faculty, also serve as mentors to the hired students, therefore creating a tri-mentorship system that has proved successful over the years.
This is evident in how far the FLL team has come with so much support. Approximately $25,000 will be required to cover the travel, accommodation and meal costs for 9 students, 1 Coach, 3 Mentors, and 1 teacher as a Chaperone over the 4 nights of the event.
The FLL team is currently working on the development and programming/hardware of the prototype using suggestions they received from the Acadia judges and guidance from their mentors. As they journey through the design process for their prototype they will look towards feedback from engineering professors at Dalhousie University to asses their prototype.
The team has taken this challenge heads-on and are excited about the trip and the possibilities that lie ahead.
Impact
The funds raised will provide the First Lego League Program students with the opportunity to attend this world-class event. They will get to meet and speak with peers and gain a broader perspective of the possibilities and potential they can achieve in STEM fields.
Also, this will serve as encouragement to other students in the community and create awareness for all the support systems that Dalhousie University, through ILA, have setup to empower our community.
If you would like more information about this campaign please reach out to Venna Penney at venna.penney@dal.ca. To mail a cheque please send to the Office of Advancement, 6389 Coburg Road, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 2A5.
The Team
Daniel, D'dryk, Debare, Grace, Hameedah, Hayden, Jedidiah, Rodiat, Sanea
Student Participants
Oluwatobi Oshikoya
Travelling Mentor
My name is Oluwatobi Oshikoya and I’m in my fifth and final year of Chemical Engineering at Dalhousie University. I am the Program Coordinator for the First Lego League team with Imhotep’s Legacy Academy. I am passionate about using my engineering skills to inspire and educate the next generation of youth of African Heritage.
Oluwadamilare Bankole
Travelling Mentor
My name is Oluwadamilare Bankole and I’m in my final year of Mechanical Engineering at Dalhousie University. I am a First Lego League Mentor with Imhotep’s Legacy Academy. Through my leadership and engineering expertise, I strive to educate and empower young minds to explore the vast opportunities within STEM disciplines.
Hillary Ogoke
Travelling Mentor
My name is Hillary Ogoke and I am in my third year of Applied Computer Science at Dalhousie University. I am a First Lego League Mentor with Imhotep’s Legacy Academy. Through my enthusiasm and expertise towards shaping the lives of young individuals, I hope to make a meaningful impact on their journey through the world of science and technology.
Elisabet Astatkie
Travelling First Lego League Mentor
My name is Elisabet Astatkie and I am a fourth-year Industrial Engineering student at Dalhousie University. I am a First Lego League Mentor with Imhotep’s Legacy Academy. I am passionate about my mentor role and am proud to engage young Black students in the STEM fields.
Chibuike Ekeadah
First Lego League Mentor
My name is Chibuike Ekeadah and I am a final year Electrical Engineering student at Dalhousie University. I am a First Lego League Mentor with Imhotep’s Legacy Academy. As a mentor, I take pride in teaching kids how to code like professionals at a young age, with my goal to increase their interest in robotics by the time they are ready to transition to university/college.
Nnaemeka Nnadede
First Lego League Mentor
My name is Nnaemeka Nnadede and I'm in my final year of Electrical Engineering with a specialization in the Computer option at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. I am a First Lego League Mentor with Imhotep’s Legacy Academy. Witnessing the blossoming creativity and problem-solving abilities of the young minds in the FLL program is immensely gratifying; I take great pride in nurturing their talents and fostering an environment where innovation thrives.
Temitope Onafalujo
First Lego League Mentor
My name is Temitope Onafalujo and I am a final year Computer Engineering student at Dalhousie University. I am a First Lego League Mentor with Imhotep’s Legacy Academy. Through my efforts, I hope to empower the next generation of STEM enthusiasts and continue the legacy of Imhotep's Legacy Academy.
Gabriel Jeggannn Roberts
First Lego League Mentor
My name is Gabriel Jeggannn Roberts and I am in my final year of Computer Engineering at Dalhousie University. I am a First Lego League Mentor with Imhotep’s’ Legacy Academy. It's an exhilarating experience to meet and guide these young minds, fueling my passion for nurturing future leaders of excellence. It's become a personal mission to contribute to their growth, believing firmly that these experiences are invaluable for any student's future.
Supporters
Lynn Jones
Rise up! Our children of African Heritage can embrace all the world has to offer if only they are given the resources and tools to excel. We shall win the race.