PHOTOS: The one of a kind comp teaching our kids coding

GLADSTONE students’ robotics skills were put to the test yesterday at the third annual CQ Gladstone District STEM cluster robotics competition.

Held at Clinton State School, 44 teams from primary schools and high schools competed across beginner and advanced competitions.

Students were required to design and build robots that they coded to follow a set path along a map on the floor.

This year, because the event partnered with Rio Tinto and Queensland Alumina Limited, the maps were themed by local production processes.

Boyne Island State School teacher and organiser Mirrin Rashleigh said it was hoped the maps would help students understand and engage with local industry.

“One of the mats shows the journey of a ship getting bauxite to Gladstone and they have to avoid cyclones, dugongs and the reef as they go through the alumina and calcification process,” she said.

“We have local partnerships with QAL and Rio Tinto.

“They’ve got mentors who’ve been visiting schools but they also provided funding to buy the mats for this competition.

“Their expertise of actually teaching that process of bauxite to aluminium, we’ve been using their field knowledge.”

While the competition will crown winning teams, it is designed to teach students 21st-century skills under the STEM curriculum.

Gladstone State High teacher Julie Hunt said it was important to get young people interested early.

“When students leave primary school and they come to high school they don’t get offered robotics until grade nine,” Ms Hunt said.

“So for grades 7-8 students who we mostly have here it still gives them the opportunity to be working with robotics.”