David Adefalujo and his teammates had a mission – engineer an underwater robot to perform a search and rescue operation for a submarine at the bottom of the ocean.

The submarine was plastic. Adefalujo is a fourth grader at Alief Independent School District’s Mahaney Elementary and the mission was a simulation at the 2024 All-Earth Ecobot Challenge on April 20 at North Shore High School. But in that moment, as Adefalujo bent over the wooden playing board and carefully studied the distance between his team’s LEGO robot and the submarine figure, the stakes couldn’t have been higher.

Now in its 15th year, the All-Earth Ecobot Challenge is an innovative engineering competition for students that combines problem-solving, critical thinking and the application of solutions for real-world problems. Teams use LEGO Education robotics kits to construct robots and navigate a STEM-based challenge simulating real environmental scenarios. The Challenge is provided through Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment (CASE) for Kids and the Education Foundation of Harris County. 

This year’s theme, “Water, the Next Oil,” challenged students to see water as both essential and a commodity – similar to oil – and find creative ways to manage it. The Challenge simulated scenarios such as inspecting and repairing pipeline infrastructure, cleaning up oil spills and removing waste from water systems using robots. The hands-on competition, paired with the accompanying curriculum, prompts students to imagine how they can use technology and robotics to solve water-related issues. 

“We’ve found that using drones and robots, we can evaluate, analyze, collect data and solve complex issues. That’s what this year’s theme is about,” said Joe Paneitz, All-Earth Ecobot Challenge curriculum director and game designer, also known as “Robo Joe.” “As time goes on, we’ll have more clean water issues. The best thing we can do is use technology to help conserve and preserve our finite ‘blue gold.’” 

Adefalujo and the other “Seabots,” Ashton Lanier, Melissa Nguyen and Melody Amaya, participated in the challenge for the first time this year. Like many of the students who filled the event space, the competition is their first taste of robotics and engineering. It serves as an entry point for students thinking about entering STEM-related fields.   

 “Our goal is to foster energy and excitement around a career,” CASE for Kids Senior Director Lisa Caruthers said. “The skills they learn along the way – teamwork, collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving – they’re going to carry those skills into the future.” 

The Challenge also required teams to be flexible and find different ways of solving problems, an important trait when working in STEM fields. Through this challenge, students can develop engineering and soft skills in a fun and supportive environment. 

So fun, in fact, that students and staff fully embraced the year’s theme and designed costumes for their teams. This year, North Shore High School was filled with pirates, sharks and jellyfish. 

“Ecobot has been really fun, but there are a lot of challenges, which makes it interesting,” Adefalujo said. “If you want to be an engineer when you grow up, this is the perfect thing for you. It’s all about programming, thinking and understanding how modern technology is used in the real world.” 

“Most importantly, it’s fun!” Adefalujo added enthusiastically. 

Although the Seabots didn’t complete all objectives within the two-and-a-half-minute time limit, the team continued to troubleshoot, discuss and practice, even after the judges moved on to the next team’s station. 

On the sixth try, their robot grabbed the plastic submarine and successfully carried it to safety. The entire team jumped into the air with excitement, celebrating the accomplishment. 

“We didn’t give up!” shouted Nguyen, an aspiring scientist. 

This is one of many examples of teamwork, resilience and excitement exhibited throughout the competition. Demonstrating that win or lose, all students involved in the Challenge develop important skills for life beyond the classroom. 

“We have kids doing so much more than just programming a robot,” Paneitz said. “Students are problem solving, thinking about the environment and working as a team at a young age. We’re focused on the whole child.”