Young innovators are making waves in ocean conservation
Two teams from King Elementary—Team Earth Allies (Jai Kothari, Neil Ramesh, Sajan Kothari, Sohan Jayasundera, Yehas Wijesekara, Yesith Wijesekara) and Team STEAM Engineers (Sahas Ihalaranaweera, Miyuki Don)—won top awards at the recent First Lego League robotics competition.
Guided by Huron High junior Tanay Panja, co-founder of STEAM Education for All, the students built robots addressing critical ocean issues, showcasing innovation and coding skills.
The team started with twelve kids and was guided by King Elementary alum Tanay Panja, a junior at Huron High School, who co-founded the nonprofit “STEAM Education for All.”
Panja led the students through a five-month program that met weekly to train them on LEGO robotics. He has raised over $3,100 through STEM and robotics training workshops for Title 1 schools, promoting equitable access to STEM education with a focus on sustainability, climate science, and empowering students from underserved communities.
Team Earth Allies were awarded Best in Coding for their creative projects. Their projects included:
- A Submarine Robot with a claw to remove ghost nets from the ocean.
- A Monitoring Robot for endangered blue whales.
Neil said: “It was fun seeing our robot clean up the ocean. Building the team models together was so much fun.”
Sajan said: “Coding was tricky, but we made it work together.”
Jai added, ”Building something that helps the planet was so cool.”
Yehas noted: “Fun and amazing experience.”
Yesith said: “Helping endangered species felt great.”
Sohan added: “There were times when the code wouldn’t work, but it was so exciting when we figured out how to fix it!“
Team STEAM Engineers—Sahas Ihalaranaweera and Miyuki Don—won the Best Core Values award for their core values: Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and Fun.
Their projects focused on:
- A Coral Reef Detection Submarine using color sensors that recognize bleached coral reefs based on color variations. The robot stored the locations of the reefs in lists, helping scientists monitor the health of coral ecosystems.
- Underwater Robot with a camera to count and track fish in Great Lakes for sustainable fish farming.
Sahas said: “Our robot can help save coral reefs.”
Miyuki added: ”We learned about building smart solutions to help our world stay healthy!”
“It’s incredible to see how much the kids have learned from this opportunity. From problem-solving and teamwork to technical skills and creative thinking, they’ve gained invaluable experience that will benefit them far beyond this project,” a parent said.
Panja praised their efforts, saying, “These kids showed incredible creativity and a commitment to solving environmental problems.”
The projects highlight the potential of early STEM education to inspire future leaders in sustainability and innovation.
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