Thinking outside the box: Learning about Jesus through Lego Robotics

Written by Amber Kyser

In the back room of the Manchester, Ky, Church, every Tuesday from  3:45 to 5:00 p.m., students between the grades 3 to 8 gather together to do Lego Robotics. This program is designed for students to learn the basics of robotics and christian values.

Lego Robotics is a STEM focused course that teaches students to think outside of the box, according to Lego Robotics mentor and Manchester Church Pastor Tom Kyser. During the classes, students build legos into robots that they can later program or create obstacles for their robot to interact with. 

“My goal is to teach [the students] complex problem-solving skills and to help them boost confidence,” Kyser said. 

Fourth grade student Trey Weideman, says that Lego Robotics has taught him the importance of teamwork. He says that because he hasn't used teamwork very much in the past, this has been a good experience for him. 

Lego Robotics is a simple program to use. Kyser first got the idea to incorporate the Lego Robotics program from a booth during the Chosen Camporee. He later talked to Mel Wade, the Adventist Robotics League director, to learn more about the program. A few months later, Kyser completed a course online to learn the basics of coding, which is an essential part of the program. 

Ministry is also an integral part of Lego Robotics. During the class, students start with prayer and whoever is in charge that day will give a short devotional that tells the students the theme for the day, which often relates to the lesson they learn of the day. For example, if the topic for the day is safety, they study what the Bible says about it  and how the students can apply that to their own lives outside of Lego Robotics.

“Legos helps teach character development,” Kyser says. “It teaches you how to solve problems and [shows you] how to deal with frustration… It helps you grow as a person both mentally and spiritually. If you could be spiritual when you’re frustrated, you can be spiritual in just about any kind of situation.”

If you are looking to start a similar program at your church or school visit https://www.adventistrobotics.net/ for more information.