Bay View Academy S.M.A.R.T. Girls Qualify For First® LEGO® League State Competition

East Providence, RI – On November 7th, the St. Mary Academy Robotics Team (S.M.A.R.T.) participated in the FIRST® Lego® League (FLL) Qualifier Tournament held at Narragansett Pier Middle School. S.M.A.R.T. was the only all-girls team in the competition and successfully earned their spot at the State Championship, to be held in January 2016 at Roger Williams University. In addition, the team won the second place “Champions Award.”

This year, according to www.firstlegoleague.org, more than 233,000 children between the ages of 9 - 16 will compete in their annual competition. The scoring is based on three parts: a research project, a robot game utilizing robots that each team builds, and the core values (how the teams achieve their goals, including items such as “learning together” and the “spirit of friendly competition.”) This year’s competition theme is “Trash Trek.” The research challenge is to “make less trash or improve the way people handle the trash we make.”

S.M.A.R.T.’s research project focuses on encouraging major manufacturers to discontinue the use of microbeads in facial cleansers, body washes and toothpastes. Currently, over 370 tons of micro-plastics are polluting the oceans each year. To date, only nine states have banned the sale of products containing microbeads. S.M.A.R.T. presented a “Jeopardy”-style question and answer skit to the judges about the dangerous environmental effects of microbeads. In addition, they presented a video of a classroom experiment that demonstrated how microbeads do not dissolve. The team is also reaching out to State legislators, asking them to propose similar laws banning the sale of microbeads in the Ocean State.

The S.M.A.R.T. girls, under the direction of their teacher and coach, Linda Grasso (West Kingston), continue to prepare and improve on their robot's performance for the Championship competition in January.

Caroline Accinno, Cranston, RI
Kristen Accinno, Cranston, RI
Lucy Bosch, Providence, RI
Emily Buchanan, Warwick, RI
Maried Delgadillo, Providence, RI
Wren Hager, Bristol, RI
Isabella Heffernan, Warwick, RI
Emilie Lum, Cranston, RI
Rylee Marin, East Providence, RI
Elizabeth Ng, North Scituate, RI