See images here. Photo credit: Gregg Richards.
Brooklyn, NY—Washington Irving Library took top honors in the BKLYN Library Robotics League championship Saturday, besting over a dozen teams from libraries around the borough. The winning team—nicknamed the Irving Hawks—is a repeat champion, having won top honors in 2023.
Second and third places went to Clarendon and Kings Bay Libraries respectively. All three teams will go on to compete in a citywide tournament later this year.
"The BKLYN Robotics League provides children and teens the opportunity to not only learn about building and programming robots, but also to develop their collaboration and communications skills,” said Linda E Johnson, President and CEO, Brooklyn Library. “Thank you to all of the parents, volunteers, librarians and staff who helped this year’s teams thrive and congratulations to all the inventive participants.”
The theme of this year’s competition was Unearthed. Using creative thinking and LEGO® technology, teams used their robots to remove top soil and find hidden treasures below, excavate heavy objects, recover artifacts, and reconstruct statues and other structures.
Partnering with NYC FIRST—an organization which empowers students from diverse communities across New York City to engage with STEM and robotics—preparation for the competition began months in advance. Young patrons, ranging in age from 9 to 17, also learned valuable communications skills including teamwork, conflict resolution, respect, and empathy. Participating in the BKLYN Library Robotics League is free.
The BKLYN Robotics League is just one of a series of programs for patrons of all ages to learn about science and technology. These include T4, a technology internship for teens; free courses in computer basics; and advanced workshops on motion graphics, audio editing, 3-D printing, AI, and much more. And Brooklyn Public Library is home to five teen tech centers at Kings Highway, Saratoga, Adams Street, Crown Heights and Bay Ridge Libraries.
About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions. Providing innovative library service for over 125 years, we support personal advancement, foster civic literacy, and strengthen the fabric of community among the more than 2.6 million individuals who call Brooklyn home. We are a global leader in the fight for the freedom to read through our Books Unbanned initiative, offering teens across the US access to the library’s online catalog. We provide nearly 65,000 free programs a year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators—from around the corner and around the world. And we give patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life’s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.