The only Messianic day school in Jerusalem, Makor HaTikvah, recently attended the First Lego League (FLL) Robotics Competition. FLL is an international program that helps children get involved in the world of science and technology in a sports-like atmosphere. It encourages them to solve complex tasks in a creative way and develops teamwork.
During the three months of preparation for the FLL Regional Tournament, the Makor HaTikvah FLL Team worked hard on accomplishing the goals of the FLL Robot Game and the presentation of their own FLL Research Project.
The team of 11 students, guided by their two mentors, developed their individual robot based on the LEGO Mindstorms system (RCX, NXT, EV3). The robot was designed and programmed by the team and had to autonomously solve a set of goals before the judges on the day of the tournament.
Besides building a robot, the team had to choose a project they wanted to research, connected to ‘Hydro dynamics,’ which was this year’s main topic. The team researched and analyzed a special problem they found, took into account what “real” scientists and experts have found, and developed an innovative solution. On the day of the tournament, they had to present their research findings and solutions to the research judges.
The Regional FLL Robotics Tournament took place on January 29, 2018 at the Jerusalem’s 11,000-seat basketball stadium called Pais Arena. After a reasonable start of earning 65 points in the first round, the expectations were high. However, after a disappointing second round of only 20 points, the Makor HaTikvah (MHT) team found themselves in 24th place with little chance of making the finals. Watch the video above to see the excitement of what happened in the third round. The MHT team of Messianic believers in the competition earned 120 points and completed an amazing comeback to go from 24th place to 5th place and make the finals!
The finals will take place this week on Wednesday, February 21, 2018. Please pray for the Makor HaTikvah FFL team, mentors, and parents as the prepare for the finals.
Do you see a man who excels in his work?
He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before unknown men.
(Proverbs 22:29)