JOURNEYING WITH YOUTH
By Simon Benge
Head of Faculty Science at St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College, Auckland
The robotics team at St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College has had an inspiring first year, with the students building their very own competition robot, Ignatius Prime, from the ground up. Using the VEX IQ system, our Year 7 and 8 students worked collaboratively to design, construct and program their robot, learning valuable skills in problem-solving, coding, and engineering along the way. Throughout the season, they made continuous adjustments and refinements to Ignatius Prime — demonstrating perseverance, creativity, and teamwork as they prepared to compete at the next National VEX IQ Robotics Competition (VEX IQRC).
The robot’s name was an inspired derivation of Optimus Prime, the fictional commander of the Autobots in the hugely popular ‘Transformers’ franchise and science fiction action films.
This achievement by our students marks only the beginning of their robotics journey. As they progress through the College, these young engineers will continue to develop their skills and tackle more complex challenges. By Year 11, they will graduate to the advanced VEX V5 Robotics Competition (VEX V5RC), Kiwibots, where they’ll apply their growing technical knowledge and leadership to build even more sophisticated robots.
The future of robotics at St Ignatius looks bright, powered by the enthusiasm, curiosity, and faith-driven innovation of these pioneering students.
Highlighting their journey into the world of robotics, College Principal Dean Wearmouth wrote in a recent newsletter: “St Ignatius of Loyola Catholic College’s VEX IQ Robotics Team, The Future Engineers, proudly represented our school in their first Kiwibots robotics competition with their robot, Ignatius Prime. Competing against 19 teams, they showed creativity, perseverance and teamwork, finishing an impressive eighth place overall.
Team members Andy, Matthew, Ollie, Aiden, Liam and Janine displayed great dedication as they designed, built, and programmed Ignatius Prime from the ground up. Special thanks go to parent manager Hien Nguyen for invaluable support and guidance.
This exciting beginning paves the way for a growing robotics elective next year, where students can further develop skills in design, construction, engineering, and coding – truly echoing Finding God in all Things, which is one of the key themes in Ignatian spirituality.
Banner graphic by David McMahon, incorporating an image of Ignatius Prime.