The Dynamic Brains are a 5th Grade FLL team from Ballentine Elementary school in Fuquay-Varina. FLL, FIRST Lego League, is an alliance between FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) and Lego that introduces children ages 9 to 14 to the fun and excitement of technology, robotics and engineering.
FLL is internationally recognized in over 80 countries with over 25,000 participating teams. Each team is presented with a real world challenge that requires research in science and technology. Last year’s topic was Nature’s Fury, whereby teams found solutions to natural disasters. The 2014-2015 FLL challenge is World Class, with all tasks being educationally based.
The Dynamic Brains selected just that—the working of a dynamic brain. This group of motivated fifth graders chose to focus on learning styles. They created an interactive website for kindergartners to high school seniors designed to aid students in their school work. The Dynamic Brains’ mission is to help every kid in the world have a dynamic brain.
Their well organized and professional looking website, www.adynamicbrain.com, incorporates fun educational games built as a motivational system to help students learn. After interviewing the Director of Mathnasium in Fuquay-Varina, this resourceful group realized the significance of knowing ones learning style in order to better match learning with studying. From here they focused on researching learning styles and found a quiz for students to discover their own learning style. The games are organized by learning style, subject, and grade, allowing the student to find help in the most convenient way.
In addition to the project, the Dynamic Brains had to design and program an autonomous robot using the Lego Mindstorms robot software and Lego pieces. Once the robot was built they then had to complete a set of missions on a thematic playing board that shows the solutions to the real-world challenge.
The FLL teams are judged in three areas: robot programing and design, a project that exhibits their solution to the challenge and finally core values. Core values include research, creativity, innovation, gracious professionalism, the sharing of ideas and promoting FIRST. The franchise teaches kids valuable team building skills, leadership, organization and public speaking through these core values.
The Dynamic Brains have been working for over six months to perfect their robot skills, along with their presentation and core values. This is their second year together as a team. Through this program they have become more than teammates; they have grown into a family, who cares about one another and who voluntarily socialize outside of school and practice. Through hard work and determination, the team made up of Jacob Bennis, Shae Broadhurst, Gina Cardillo, Abigail Devito, Ladi Folarin, Ellen Pierce, Kimberly Prodrutti, Sydney Stone, Isreal Velazquez, Faith Verela and Jake Ware, have progressed through the Regional Competitions, winning an award for their research, and landing them a spot at the NC State Championship in Greensboro this past January. After failing to make it to States last year, by a mere fraction of a score the Dynamic Brains were determined to make Greensboro their end goal. Not only did this remarkable group get to States, but they came in 2nd place overall, beating out 53 other teams across North Carolina. The team has now advanced to the National FLL Competition, which will be in Carlsbad, California May 15-17, 2015.
Many local companies have supported this program throughout the past two years. Both TE Connectivity and John Deere, both in Fuquay-Varina have provided monetary and corporate sponsorship to the Dynamic Brains. The staff at TE Connectivity was so greatly impressed with this group of youngsters that they invited them to present and tour their facility. The kids were amazed at watching the 3D printer at work, along with one of only a few high voltage labs in the world!
Credit Suisse, a corporate partner with FIRST, invited the Ballentine FLL group to their Raleigh offices to share their presentations and robots with their employees. After watching the Dynamic Brains at work, one staff member kept repeating, “And they are only ten years old!”
With the help of volunteers, parents, Sonia Clark (AG teacher at Ballentine Elementary School) and coach, Jen Mahlum, these 5th grade students have spent countless hours perfecting their robot and designing more intricate missions for their national debut. They want to represent Fuquay-Varina to the absolute best of their ability. Team member, Ladi Folarin said, “I want to find a team from Australia and teach them how to say Fuquay.”
Now the only missing link in their mission is finding the money that will get them to California. The Dynamic Brains are heavily working on fundraising ideas in and around the community. If you are interested in helping the Dynamic Brains compete at the FLL National Competition, please visit their website www.adynamicbrain.com and click on their Facebook page. They have started a Kickstarter account and corporate donations are being accepted through FIRST. Please make checks out to NC FIRST Robotics, PO Box 5715, Greensboro, NC 27435 ATT: Dynamic Brains.
