LEGO® Education Centres arrive in the UK

...Students mix mechanics and imagination, at the launch of the first fully integrated LEGO Education Centre in Britain...

For the pupils of Stockley Academy, building robots is about to become an everyday part of school life. Stockley Academy has become the first school in the UK to purchase a LEGO® Education Centre (LEC). Commercially launched for the first time in the UK today, the LEC is designed to develop essential skills built around the key areas of science: technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM subjects) and create a hub of innovation and creativity that interacts with the local community.

With the LEGO brand invoking fond childhood memories in both students and teachers alike, it’s not surprising that the LEGO Education kits have created excitement. But while these are just as engaging and fun as the brightly coloured LEGO sets we had as kids, they are serious learning tools that stimulate students’ interest in STEM as well as allowing them to develop real, practical problem-solving skills. The LEC consists of several key components: the unique LEGO Education kits, teacher and pupil learning resources, a regular training framework, a community website and specially designed furniture.
Students can build their own LEGO solutions and use LEGO Education material which supports a process of learning that includes four phases: Connect, Construct, Contemplate and Continue. The intention is to connect a new learning experience by constructing models and ideas. Students contemplate what they have done and deepen their understanding and continue with new challenges and advanced learning.

After using the hardware to build their own LEGO creations, simple, icon-based software allows pupils to programme their robots. This encourages them to use their imagination and problem solving skills in the process – can the class build a robot that will guard the room, sounding an alarm when someone comes through the door? Can they create a ‘power station’ that generates energy using wind or water?

‘We’re thrilled that LEGO Education Centres have arrived in the UK,’ says Jens Maibom, Vice President at LEGO Education. ‘The centres have been a huge success in schools across Scandinavia, and we have no doubt that they’ll inspire and educate students in Britain in the same way as they have done abroad.

LEGO Education Centres are extremely flexible, and offer tuition for students of all ages in a wide variety of disciplines - as well as involving STEM skills, they encourage pupils to develop softer skills such as creativity, problem solving and cooperation. It’s fantastically important for young people to enjoy and engage with these kinds of subjects, as they are our next generation of engineers, mechanics and even spacecraft designers. LEGO Education Centres can be the first stage in developing the skills needed for these roles.’

‘We’re extremely proud to be the first UK school to purchase a LEGO Education Centre,’ said Aftab Ahmed at Stockley Academy. ‘With a specialism of science and technology, we have established a reputation for being at the cutting edge of education and the LEGO Education products will further reinforce our position as an innovative and forward-thinking establishment. We believe that gaining competencies in certain technologies is key for our students’ future success, and that the LEGO Education Centres will provide them not only with great skills but also inspiration and scope for development.’
Since 2003, more than 140 LECs have been established across Scandinavia. With such a wide range of LEGO Education materials, the scope for learning across all ages is extremely wide - and to help them make the most of their tools, any schools purchasing the LEC are provided with a regular training course for teachers, with specialist help from a dedicated LEGO Education Trainer.

The staff at Stockley Academy have already been instructed how best to use their resources for technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM subjects) which are the three key areas for the LEGO Education programme. The products include Simple and Powered Machines, Pneumatics, Renewable Energy and LEGO® MINDSTORMS® with Data Logging. These products enable students to learn about the principles behind everyday technology and mechanics, generating and storing energy and robot constructions.