Young man and woman from Maryland, all under 18 years old, compete in a robotics challenge at the 2022 Maryland State Fair, Timonium, Maryland, Aug. 28, 2022. There were two competitions all based around an Oyster harvesting theme. The REC tournament with the autonomous period and the driver control period. The second category was the Lego mission where younger competitors had to complete multiple pre-programmed missions.

 

The funding assistance for the 2022 4-H LEGO Robotics Challenge is provided through a USDA-NIFA Grant.

 

This work is a component of the Smart Sustainable Shellfish Aquaculture Management (S3AM) initiative led by the A. James Clark School of Engineering, which is developing professional ROVs with camera capabilities to assess the condition and health of oyster beds for aquaculture farmers. It is taking certain elements of the S3AM grant and incorporating them into new and existing 4-H programming as in the example at the Robotics Challenge at the Maryland State Fair.

 

The Maryland State Fair provides 4-H youth an opportunity to showcase all of what they've learned through their club, school, camp, and other 4-H experiences. Youth develop life skills while learning about everything from animal science to rocketry, public speaking, and the arts. There's something for everyone in 4-H. The state fair also allows youth to engage with the community and build lifelong friendships. (USDA photo by Christophe Paul)