Superbots teach school children life lessons, as well as STEM

GEORGETOWN, Del. – Superbot Saturday featured 41 teams from Middle Schools and Elementary Schools from around the region competing at Georgetown Elementary.

We’re told each year the tournament draws more and more competitors.

“It’s slowly spreading out into Cape, Salisbury, Seaford, its spreading throughout Sussex County,” said Nicole Morey, a teacher at Georgetown Elementary and a robotics coach.

Students work for months after school, beginning in October, to build these machines.

“They’re learning really science, they have the technology, we’re teaching them how to program to run the robots autonomously,” said Morey.

Not only are these kids learning a lot about STEM, science, technology, engineering and math, but they’re also learning plenty of life lessons through this competition.

“You have to learn a lot of teamwork things. And that you have to work together to be able to accomplish something big,” said Avalynn Webb, an HOB Brittingham student. “You can’t just take over things.”

“You have to let them help you and not just push them to the sidelines,” said Elena Booth, also an HOB Brittingham student.

Students are taught to keep detailed design notebooks with illustrations. These competitions teach students that trial and error is a natural part of life.

“How to make mistakes. Mistakes are good, how can we learn from the mistakes. Or if something doesn’t go right, we have to take it back to the engineering table and work it out again,” said Morey.

Winners of excellence awards will have the opportunity to go to Kentucky for the World Championships. Georgetown Elementary has sent three-student teams each year to the World Championships for the past two years.