Discovery STEM Academy advances to FIRST LEGO League VA-DC semifinals

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Posted: November 13, 2023

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Discovery STEM Academy advanced to the VA-DC FIRST LEGO League Challenge Championship competitive robotics program semifinals December 9-10 at James Madison University.

The academy also earned the Innovation Project award, and Booker T. Washington Middle and Dutrow Elementary schools were awarded first place in the Robot Design category, as numerous NNPS schools competed in the VA-DC Regional Tournament. This is the third consecutive year that NNPS has had a team reach the state semifinals.

"Without the support of the principals, the hours of coaching and the perseverance of our students, NNPS would not have made up 50% of the VA-DC Regional Tournament," said Kevin Nelhuebel, NNPS secondary STEM instructional specialist.

Booker T. Washington Middle, Hines Middle, Passage Middle, Carver Elementary, Deer Park Elementary, Discovery STEM Academy, Dutrow Elementary, General Stanford Elementary, Knollwood Meadows Elementary, McIntosh Elementary and Sedgefield Elementary schools competed in the regional competition.

"What's particularly heartening is seeing students from all backgrounds, who might not have previously envisioned themselves in engineering roles, now competing and succeeding right alongside peers from private schools, gifted centers and home schools," Nelhuebel said. "This brings a rich diversity of thought to the engineering space."

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