More than 1,000 elementary students from across the Upper Grand District School Board put their creativity and problem-solving skills to the test Tuesday during the board’s annual Elementary Skills Competition at the University of Guelph. Students in Grades 4 through 8 from dozens of schools took part in a range of hands-on challenges designed to promote innovation, collaboration and technical skills. Grade 7 student Adrianna Sidlar from Palmerston Public School was seen using a small saw to bring a big idea to life. “Supposedly, it will be a wind turbine,” Sidlar said. The event featured competitions in LEGO mechanics and robotics, VEX robotics, construction, green energy, tech design, health and safety, and TV/video production. Charles Benyair, the Upper Grand District School Board’s technical lead, said the annual competition continues to grow. “This year we have 65 elementary schools represented with probably over 1,000 kids this year,” Benyair said. Students competed in small teams, working through challenges that required collaboration and creative thinking. While the event is structured as a competition, the focus is on developing skills students can use long after the event ends. “My mom is an engineer, so I would like to be one just like her,” Grade 8 student Blianne Enriquez from Palmerston Public School said. Others said they were simply enjoying the opportunity to build and experiment. “I mean, I’m having fun. I love building things,” Sidlar added. Some teams faced complex engineering challenges, including designing drawbridges powered by a single motor. “Just trying to get the second bridge to go up [is hard] because we only get to use one motor. It’s difficult to try to get them both to go off,” said Henry Dorombozi, a Grade 7 student from Aberfoyle Public School. Students also evaluated their own performance beyond simply winning. “Have good creativity, work together well and complete the challenge,” said Emmett Skrt, another Grade 7 student from Aberfoyle Public School. A group of Grade 8 students from Arthur Public School adapted after an early setback in a robotics challenge. “We put our motor on backwards and we don’t [have time] to fix it,” Marley Grimes said, explaining they adjusted their strategy by coding the robot in reverse. The robot followed a specific route mapped on the floor using computer programming. Non-profit Royal City Community Robotics also attended the event to highlight opportunities for students outside the classroom. “We want to make robotics as accessible as ice hockey,” said Martin Cleaver with Royal City Community Robotics. Cleaver said there is growing demand for engineering and technical skills in an AI-focused future. Organizers said events like the Elementary Skills Competition help students explore potential career paths while building confidence and teamwork skills. Winning teams from Tuesday’s competition will move on to represent the Upper Grand District School Board at the provincial skills competition in Toronto later this spring.
