Putting Lego Skills to the Test
Putting Lego Skills to the Test
Area schools compete in robotics and programming challenge
Photo / CABOCES
ALLEGANY - Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES hosted students from across the region in the 2025 FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge at The Hall in Allegany, NY. This annual event brought students together to showcase their skills in robotics, programming, and creative problem-solving.
This year’s participants included teams from Belfast, Bolivar-Richburg, Cattaraugus-Little Valley, Cuba-Rushford, Frewsburg, Fillmore, Genesee-Valley, Hinsdale, Pioneer, Wellsville, and Whitesville. Several local teams and individuals were recognized for their achievements:
Breakthrough Award: Wellsville's Roary’s Coders
Rising All-Star Award: Belfast’s School of Fish
Core Values Award and ACE Advancement: Pioneer’s LEGO Panthers
Innovation Project Award: Wellsville’s Plastic Police
Robot Design Award and ACE Advancement: Belfast’s Hurricane Hounds
Robot Performance Award: Gold went to Hinsdale’s Team #2 for achieving the highest score of 230 points, while Wellsville’s Coop Coders earned Silver and Genesee-Valley’s GV Bricks secured Bronze.
Champion’s Award: Wellsville’s Coop Coders
The two ACE Advancement Teams and the Champion’s Award team will advance to represent our area at the Finger Lakes Region Championship Event. This event will be held at Nichols School in Buffalo, NY on Sunday, February 16, 2025.
During the event, William Washburn of Fillmore, was recognized for his longstanding dedication to the program and mentorship, exemplifying the FIRST® Core Values.
Reflecting on the competition, Sean Conklin, the CA BOCES Coordinator for Arts Integration and Extracurricular Events shared, “When people first hear ‘LEGO® League,’ they think kits and random building, but this experience is so much more. Students not only build a LEGO® robot, but they write, test, and implement code to have it move and interact with other items. They are gaining valuable experience in machine design, prototyping, and problem solving through structured challenges. The Innovation Project pushes them to think of ways to improve their world, requiring research and critical thinking to identify problems and explore solutions. These ‘beyond the classroom’ experiences are incredibly valuable and reinforce skills taught in school through an exciting, competitive environment.”
As the regional leader in education services, CA BOCES offers state-of-the-art programs for learners of all ages and abilities as well as cost-effective shared services for 22 component school districts. CA BOCES empowers students to achieve their maximum potential by offering a wide variety of innovative programs and support that include special education, career and technical education, adult and continuing education, technology support, and instructional support services. To learn more, visit www.caboces.org.