Polytechnic University Mentors Five Central Brooklyn Schools to Compete in First Citywide Lego Robotics Competition

Among the schools vying for the New York City First LEGO League Championship Tournament are five teams from Central Brooklyn that are mentored by Polytechnic University students as part of the Central Brooklyn Robotics Initiative (CBRI), which is led by Polytechnic University Professors Vikram Kapila and Noel Kriftcher. CBRI introduces middle- and high-school students from Central Brooklyn to the foundations of robotics technology.

Students ages 9 to 14, working in teams, are given challenges based on a real-life problem - and with the help of adult mentors - they research, design, build and program robotic creations to carry out a series of missions on table-top playing fields. Through this, students develop an understanding of engineering and programming concepts and the role of technology in our society. They learn to use the Internet and other research resources to study challenge topics, make presentations about their research results, and test their robotic creations in a setting of friendly competition.

Who

Five student teams from Central Brooklyn schools P.S. 21, P.S. 11, P.S. 81, Bedford Academy, and P.S. 256

Dr. Noel Kriftcher, Executive Director of the David Packard Center for Technology and Educational Alliances, Industry Professor of Humanities, Polytechnic University; former superintendent for public high schools for Brooklyn and Staten Island

Dr. Vikram Kapila, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnic University

Polytechnic Student Mentors

Where

Riverbank State Park
679 Riverside Dr at 145th St New York, NY

When

Saturday, January 26, 2008
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.