On Monday, local robotics students visited the East Limestone Senior Center to work with their senior partners, older residents paired with the home-schooled students, to identify and solve a problem faced by senior citizens.

The students, who make up the team named ACRONYM, which stands for All Cool Robots Own New Yellow Motherboards, will compete as a FIRST Lego League Robotics team.  FLL is sponsored by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology. The home-schooled students are organized through Sci-Quest Hands on Science Center in Huntsville and the team is looking for other sponsors to help cover equipment and competition expenses.

The team is made up of John Bateman, Emma Black, Brenna McSparrin, Nathan Silas, Nathan Risher and Tala Thompson.

Each year, a new student challenge is announced. This year’s challenge is called “Senior Solutions: Independent. Engaged. Connected.” 

The challenge has multiple parts, including conduct, robot game and project. 

Senior partners help students understand life as a senior and identify real problems they face.   ACRONYM will research the problems alongside current and future technologies to implement a solution. 

Senior partners will review ACRONYM’s work to help improve it.

ACRONYM will present this solution in preliminary competition in Madison on Nov. 17. If students do well, they will compete in the state competition in Huntsville in early December. The team’s goal is to create real, helpful solutions for seniors and to be invited to the international competition in April.

Senior partners who met with the students are Denise Smith, Jerry Kimbrough, Phillip Dorning, Marie Dorning, Doris Silas, Charlie McCartney, Annie Ridnour, and Linda Lasota.  Other seniors are invited to participate with this project and can join the group at the next meeting at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 24 at East Limestone Senior Center.

“The group will meet bi-monthly at East Limestone Senior Center until the project is complete,” said Sheilia Long, Council on Aging nutrition coordinator.  “The first meeting went well with the seniors and young people getting to know one another and projecting new ideas for the competition.  Ideas and suggestions made by the seniors included leadership, issues with balance, opening items, hearing, getting out of chairs/sofas/cars, memory, sight issues, i.e. instead of reading, it would help to be voice activated. We are blessed with seniors who have a world of knowledge, wisdom, and expertise skill to share with these young people. The young people are excited about putting these ideas into place with their project.”

Organizations and speakers schedule visits to senior centers each month.  Long said anyone wishing to schedule a visit with any senior centers, should call her at 256-233-6412. 

“We’d be honored for you to deliver a presentation or become involved in other ways,” she said. “I look forward to hearing from other organizations and hope you can join us in the upcoming months.”