St. Mary Academy — Bay View Middle School Robotics Team Wins Innovation Project Award

Riverside, RI – Last month, Bay View’s Middle School Robotics Team took home the Innovation Project Award from the FIRST LEGO League state championship held at Ponaganset Middle School. This award recognized their contribution to this year’s challenge, “Unearthed”, which focused on obstacles archeologists may face in their field.

The FIRST LEGO League introduces students from Pre-K through Grade 8 to the world of science and technology. Through hands-on challenges using LEGO robotics tools, students build problem‑solving abilities, creativity and leadership skills. Each year, the program releases a new theme that guides students’ exploration and inspires innovative thinking. This year’s theme focuses on expanding students’ awareness of the field of archeology in the hopes of building a better future today.

Bay View’s Team S.M.A.R.T., composed of 10 students, decided to focus on the problem of transporting historical artifacts without damaging them. Their idea was to encase artifacts in alginate, a natural, seaweed-based material that hardens in two to four minutes and can be easily peeled off or kept on for longer preservation, to prepare them for transport.

To improve their idea, students reached out to Rhode Island archeologists for advice. Six archeologists responded to their initial contact and additional follow-up questions. Students took their advice and adjusted their alginate box to only be used for transport between museums.

“This year, the challenge was made up of the robot game, innovation project, robot design and core values,” Valerie Briden, advisor to the Robotics Team said. “This challenge exposed us to many problems archeologists face and made us realize that, as individuals, we all bring something different to the team. The team works hard, but most importantly we just always have fun.”

Members of Team S.M.A.R.T. include Mishka Basu ‘30 (Cumberland), Grace Beckerman ‘30 (Providence), Kaylee Collins ‘30 (Pawtucket), Sophia Donaldson ‘30 (Warwick), Violet Grant ‘30 (Rumford), Maddie Hills ‘30 (Rumford), Helen Messitt ‘30 (East Providence), Margot Palmaccio ‘30 (Seekonk, MA), Sana Zaryan ‘30 (Lincoln) and Adae Zerit ‘30 (Pawtucket).

The Innovation Project Award recognizes a team’s ability to present a creative and well-developed solution, use diverse resources and effectively communicate their idea to the judges and community.