Clover Kids to participate in Lego League showcase

The Union County 4-H Clover Kids program will be sending three teams to the Lego League Showcase in Osceola Thursday, July 21, at the Clarke County Fair.

The members of the Lego League have been working hard since March to build their motorized Lego models around the state-wide theme called “Waste Wise.” The theme is centered on solving the issue of “waste” in today’s society.

Members started off the season by learning about recycling, landfills and waste management practices. The end goal of the Lego League is to build a Lego model with at least one motorized part that shows how a waste problem can be solved, all while keeping the model within a 15-inch by 15-inch square. Members also designed a display board to complete their work that includes pictures, steps of their process and drawings of their models.

The Lego League Showcase in Osceola will consist of 10 teams in the southwest Iowa region and will be judged on a noncompetitive basis. Teams will get the opportunity to share their models and displays with judges as well as the public during a two-hour period.

Union County Extension received three grants from the Iowa State University College of Engineering and John Deere this past winter to help fund the Lego leagues.

In order to participate in this particular Lego league then participants had to be members of a Union County Clover Kid program, which is made up of kindergaren through third-grade students. The 21 members are divided into three teams based on age and each team is led by a coach.