CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — 4-H Archery Interest Meeting – Thursday, January 30, 2020 – 7:00 pm – Ag Heritage Building, 185 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg, PA (lower level facing the stream). If you have a child between the ages of 8-18 who may be interested in participating in this exciting project, or if you have interest in assisting as a volunteer, please contact our newest 4-H Educator, John Taylor at 717-263-9226 or jdt5508@psu.edu.
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Training – February 19, 2020 – 8:00 am-4:00 pm – Cumberland Valley Produce Auction, 101 Springfield Road, Shippensburg, PA. At least one supervisor from every produce farm with annual sales over $250,000 is required to attend a Grower Training Course. To register, please visit: https://extension.psu.edu/fsma-grower-training and choose the appropriate location or call 1-877-345-0691. The cost is $25 per participant, and registration is required. For more information, please contact the Penn State Extension office in Franklin County at 717-263-9226.
Private Pesticide Applicator Shortcourse – Two-Day Series – February 24 and 26 – Ag Heritage Building, 185 Franklin Farm lane, Chambersburg, PA (lower level facing the stream). This course will prepare attendees for the PA Department of Ag private pesticide certification exam by reviewing and highlighting key material in the Pesticide Core and Supplemental manual. Order your training packets in advance. Fee is $40 and includes lunch for both days. To register, please call 877-345-0691 or register online at extension.psu.edu/private-pesticide-applicator-short-course. Other questions may be directed to the Penn State Extension office in Franklin County at 717-263-9226.
2020 Beginner Beekeeping Basics series –Thursdays, March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2 – 6:30-9:00 pm – Ag Heritage Building, 185 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg (lower level facing the stream). An apiary field day will be held on Saturday, April 11. Cost is $60 per family by February 20. Registration is required and is limited to the first 50. Registration includes a beekeeping manual, membership in the Franklin County Beekeepers’ Association and various resources and ongoing support. To request a registration form, please call 717-263-9226, email franklincountybeekeeperspa@gmail.com or visit www.fcbapa.com.
Franklin County LEGO Robotics Teams Win First and Third in Regional Competition
Submitted by Jess Howe, Penn State Extension 4-H Educator
Two FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Robotics teams from Franklin County placed at the PA Central Region Championships held on Saturday, January 11 in Altoona, PA. Forty-seven teams from fourteen Pennsylvania counties competed at the event.
FLL Team S.P.O.R.T., #46360, took first place and FLL Team B.R.I.C!, #38501, took third place overall. S.P.O.R.T. stands for Students Programming Outstanding Robots Together and B.R.I.C! stands for Building Robots Is Cool!.
Teams are judged in four different areas: Robot Games, Robot Design, Innovative Project and Core Values. For the Robot Game and Robot Design part of the competition, students built and programmed a robot made of LEGO Technic bricks and a Lego EV3 Mindstorm processor to complete special themed ‘missions’ on a 4’x8’ field. The Innovative Project portion had each team choose a real-world problem related to the infrastructure in their local communities. They then had to research and develop a unique way to solve the issue. The Core Values part of the judging assessed how well the group worked together as a team.
Teams need to do well in all four areas in order to be selected for the first, second or third place overall competition winners. Team S.P.O.R.T. also won a trophy for first place in the Robot Games with 300 points, tying with an FLL team from Salisbury, PA. Team B.R.I.C! secured the second highest overall Robot Game score with 295 points.
Team S.P.O.R.T.’s robot, named K.A.J.E., was able to complete seven missions for a max potential score of 325 points. Their project idea was a trash collecting robot named F.R.E.D., the First Response Environmental Defender, that would be deployed along our highways to help collect the roadside trash.
As a result of their win, Team S.P.O.R.T. has been invited to compete at the 2020 FIRST LEGO League World Festival at the FIRST World Championships in Detroit, Michigan from April 29 to May 2. They will be competing against FLL teams from around the world. There are about 300 FLL teams in Pennsylvania, and only six of them will receive invitations to the World Championships.
Team SPORT and Team BRIC have been meeting at the Chambersburg Mall as part of the 4-H LEGO League club. They meet with a third FLL team, named 002BETA (Team #49566), which is the newest FLL team in Franklin County. Team 002BETA has shown great growth in a short amount of time, and they performed well at the competition.
If you are interested in having your child participate in a FIRST Lego League team, for ages 9-14, or its sister program called FIRST Lego League Jr, for ages 6-10, please send an e-mail to FCPARobotics@gmail.com. Both programs require significant “parental”/adult involvement for your child to participate.
More Information on FLL:
FIRST LEGO League challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. During the INTO ORBIT season, teams of up to 10 students will choose and solve a real-world problem in an open-ended project. Teams will also build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® technology to solve a series of space-themed missions as part of the Robot Game, which include: growing food in space; fighting muscle atrophy in orbit; collecting samples; and more. The exclusive LEGO models that line the field were inspired by the stories and experiences of STEM professionals who represent the many fields and roles needed to send humans to space. Throughout the season, teams will operate under the signature set of FIRSTCore Values, celebrating discovery, innovation, inclusion and fun.
Past Challenges have been based on topics such as nanotechnology, climate, quality of life for the handicapped population, and transportation. By designing our Challenges around such topics, participants are exposed to potential career paths within a chosen Challenge topic, in addition to solidifying the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) principles that naturally come from participating in the program. Team members also learn valuable life and employment skills which will benefit them no matter which career path they choose.
More Info on FIRST LEGO League Jr.:
FIRST LEGO League Jr. for grades K-4 (ages 6 to 10) is designed to introduce younger children to the fun and excitement of solving problems with science and technology. FIRST LEGO League Jr. teams are given a Challenge based on a real-world theme, requiring them to build models and create a Show Me Poster depicting their research journey. Teams are encouraged to gather to share their projects and experiences with family and friends or at a locally organized Expo. Teams receive the Inspire Set – a special LEGO Education kit that will be used by teams to inspire creativity within the Challenge theme – and the Engineering Notebook, which provides a structured experience for teams.
For more information about 4-H, please contact Jess Howe at the Penn State Extension office in Franklin County at 717-263-9226. To contact the 4-H Robotics Team directly, please email FCPARobotics@gmail.com.
–Penn State Extension, Franklin County