On February 15, our Lego League team, the Duke Decoders, competed in the Pennsylvania Lego League championships in Palmyra, PA. While the Decoders did not advance to the national competition, they did take home the Motivate Award, given to a team that embraces the true culture of Lego League through team building, team spirit, and enthusiasm.

Given the familial, close-knit, and positive culture of the team, it's no surprise that the Decoders took home that award.

“We drove there in the school van. Our kids were talking about what they wanted to do during their presentations, and they decided that they were going to do a chant. They were able to do that chant for the judges, which showed their teamwork and enthusiasm," said Michelle Stowell, one of the Decoders coaches.

"We were shocked to make it to states initially. But because our team is such a big family and we were able to display core values, that helped us advance." 

After plenty of hard work preparing for the competition, the Decoders exhibited significant improvement in their gameplay.

“During our first run we scored 305 points, which was a huge increase from our regional competition, when we scored 175 points," said Stowell. "The fact that we were able to almost double our points in two months with a brand new robot was pretty remarkable.”

As the district continues to build up its Lego League program, Stowell anticipates future growth. Seeing the culture the team has built — and what they've been able to achieve — should only serve as motivation for younger students.

“Especially with the sendoff assembly, I think the younger kids were intrigued seeing the older kids go on a trip," said Stowell. "I anticipate more kids being interested in getting involved with the program.”