Fife College hosts global STEM competition at Kirkcaldy Campus

Local school pupils were given a unique opportunity to take part in one of the world's biggest STEM competitions thanks to an event at Fife College.

The College’s Kirkcaldy Campus played host to the regional heat of a global FIRST LEGO League competition with pupils from several local schools taking part.

Teams from Kelty Primary School, Inverkeithing High School, Colinsburgh STEM Club and Fettes College (Edinburgh) were challenged to build and programme an autonomous robot to complete a series of missions linked to the theme of ‘SuperPowered’.

With prizes on offer for robot performance, teamwork and innovation, the competition encouraged the development of key skills for future careers in STEM, including coding, design and research.

The FIRST LEGO League Challenge is part of Fife College’s School STEM Workshop offering which includes events such as crystal growing, coding clubs and forensic science experiences.

Facilitated by the College’s experienced lecturers, in first-class facilities, the workshops give young people hands-on opportunities within labs and classrooms to get them excited about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) courses and careers.

Yvonne Bayne, Academic & Quality Manager for Science Projects at Fife College, said:

“Congratulations to all the teams that took part in the FIRST LEGO League Challenge at our Kirkcaldy Campus. It was fantastic to see so many school pupils taking part.

“Fife College is committed to helping fill the STEM skills gap by encouraging young people to become interested in these subjects from an early age.

“Our school events, like the FIRST LEGO League Challenge, are a great way to do just that. By bringing subjects to life in an interactive and engaging way, these events can help young people make those important connections between STEM and real-world scenarios.”

Prizes were presented on the day by Stuart White, Head of Project Management at Network Rail, a supporter of the College's STEM initiatives. Stuart said:

“It was great to see such enthusiasm from all the teams as they took on the challenge. This hands-on approach gives the youngsters such a great insight not just into the technical aspect of the different challenges but also into the teamwork and collaboration that’s required to succeed in achieving their goals. Well done to the competitors and to Fife College for hosting”.

Contact Information

Stewart Ross
Communications Officer
Fife College
01383 845007
[email protected]

For more information about the School STEM Workshops, and science courses starting at the College later this year, visit www.fife.ac.uk/stem

Delivered in the UK and Ireland by the Institute of Engineering and Technology, FIRST Lego League is a global STEM competition for children aged 4-16 that develops key skills for future careers, including coding, design and research.

Over 3,700 FIRST LEGO League events have taken place in 110 countries with over 670,000 young people involved.

In Scotland, the tournaments are supported by the Energy Skills Partnership, the college sector agency in Scotland for energy, engineering, construction and STEM whilst leading on the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan.

Schools in attendance at the FIRST LEGO League event at Fife College's Kirkcaldy Campus:

• Colinsburgh STEM Club (includes Colinsburgh Primary School and High School pupils)
• Kelty Primary School
• Inverkeithing High School
• Fettes College (Edinburgh)

ABOUT FIFE COLLEGE

Fife College is one of the largest colleges of higher and further education in Scotland with five main campuses located in Dunfermline, Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, Leven, and Rosyth. The College offers over 400 courses, from essential skills to graduate degree programmes, in more than 40 different subject areas, with 93% of Fife College students progressing in to either employment or further studies after completing their courses. Over 17,000 students currently study either full-time or part-time at the College, which also hosts the Carnegie Conference Centre, a University Hub, and the Andrew Carnegie Business School.