Watch for free as smart kids address real-world problems with LEGOs at CSU

Columbus State University will host a FIRST LEGO League Super Regional competition for 30 teams of students in grades 3-8 Saturday.

The event is free and open to the public. Team check-in begins in the Davidson Auditorium at 7:30 a.m. The competition will be in Davidson and University Hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

FIRST is an acronym for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology.

"Columbus State University is thrilled to host this important event for youth across the state,” Linda Hadley, dean of CSU’s Turner College of Business, said in the university’s news release Friday. “FIRST LEGO League is an extraordinary program that encourages an interest in science and technology among young people. CSU is proud to provide an environment for these children to develop and build essential and fundamental skills.”

The theme of this year’s competition is hydrodynamics.

“Participants will be challenged to solve real-world problems that involve finding, transporting and disposing of water,” the news release says. “... They must design, build and program a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS technology to compete on a table-top playing field.”

This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Watch for free as smart kids address real-world problems with LEGOs at CSU."