Local middle school student flourishing in FIRST LEGO League
Benjamin Feath’s passion for robotics has afforded him a wealth of learning opportunities and a great deal of success.
The seventh-grader from Ryan Gloyer Middle School has competed for the last three years in the FIRST LEGO League, a world-renowned robotics competition, as a dedicated member of the Band of Steel, a team based out of MySTEM Academy in Wexford.
Each year, thousands of FIRST LEGO League teams are presented with a real-world scientific challenge to research. Participants design and program Lego Education robots to complete tasks, while also developing solutions based on an annual theme.
It’s been an enjoyable ride for Benjamin, who said he enjoys being challenged by what the program has to offer.
“It teaches me a lot of problem solving and other things,” he said. “It’s just really fun to do.”
The team’s coach and owner of MySTEM Academy, Marcel Bergerman, said Benjamin has been an excellent leader during his time with the team.
“I think that he’s an exemplary role model for the type of growth we like to see in FIRST LEGO League members,” Bergerman said. “Ben’s very handy with building prototypes and everything that’s needed for the research projects.”
This year’s theme, “Submerged”, was centered around ocean health. It prompted Benjamin and his nine teammates from other middle schools across Western Pennsylvania to focus on ocean conservation.
After interviewing several experts, including Seneca Valley School School Board member and marine engineer Nick Brower, members of the team recognized a need for greater awareness about ocean health.
To do that, they launched an educational campaign that reached more than 7,000 people worldwide. Through in-person outreach, YouTube videos, a website and a Facebook page, they’ve gotten their message out to countries as far away as South Korea, India and Australia.
Additionally, they created a children’s book, “The Adventures of Shelly and Shelldon,” and an educational kit to teach young audiences about marine conservation.
Beyond all of the planning and research, the team has also given back to the local community.
Earlier this year, they taught EV3 coding to Cranberry Township Girl Scout troops, hosted coding classes at the Baierl YMCA and raised $1,300 for ocean conservation by selling original artwork at a local craft show.
The team’s hard work has also paid dividends in competitions. Band of Steel was named Grand Champions at the December 2024 Southwestern Pennsylvania Championship, where they also secured first place in the robot game.
Earlier this month, the team earned first place in the Core Values judging session at the Pennsylvania State Competition. That judging session is one of three and is given out to a team that works well together and best displays the principles that the program embodies.
The team now plans to compete in June at the Florida Sunshine Invitational, hosted by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.
But for Benjamin and his teammates, the success is just one facet of the work. Through dedication, creativity and a passion for STEM, they’re proving that young minds can make a real-world impact.
“The success is just a secondary thing,” Benjamin said, “but teaching kids and adults that may not know about this feels really good.”
