From left: Asher Rinehart, Matthew Stockebrand, Jordan Stockebrand, Joel Stockebrand, Jubal Stockebrand and Kyler Rinehart pose with the project that clinched their First LEGO League victory: a board game focused on teaching kids how to save energy.
A team of homeschoolers with ties to Heartland Rural Electric Cooperative powered past the competition at a statewide First LEGO League tournament on the strength of an educational board game they created called SuperPowered $aving$.
The team, which uses Mark and Jacki Rinehart’s farm outside of Yates Center as its base of operations, consists of Matthew, Jordan, Joel, and Jubal Stockebrand as well as their friends Kyler and Asher Rinehart. They jokingly named themselves the “Beach Boys” despite living in what Jubal calls “no-coast Kansas.”
Matthew Stockebrand is the son of Heartland members Cleaton and Alece Stockebrand and the grandson of District 2 Director H. H. Stockebrand. Meanwhile, Jordan, Joel and Jubal belong to Tricia and Chris Stockebrand of Yates Center.
“Kids always hear adults say to turn off the lights, but it was like, well, why?” said Tricia Stockebrand. “I think for our kids this project really helped them connect what they do with how it actually affects energy use and energy savings.”
First LEGO League competitions involve multiple components. A key portion is a robotics challenge in which a programmable LEGO bot must complete as many predefined tasks on a game board as possible within a set time period.
The other component is a research project in which teams must find innovative ways to address challenges related to the yearly theme. That’s where the SuperPowered $aving$ game came in.
“Our robot game wasn’t the best—it had a lot of troubles,” said Matthew Stockebrand. “But our project was really good.”
The team had to present their project in a creative way, so they decided to perform a skit.
“I was the dad,” said Matthew. “I was in the house, and the boys brought in the mail and gave me a really big electric bill. I yelled at them and said, ‘Don’t you guys know you need to save energy?’”
Matthew’s “sons” (in reality his friends and cousins) then demonstrated how the game works.
Each player has two bank accounts: one for their annual energy budget and another for their energy savings. The player with the most savings at the end of the game wins.
As players move around the board, Monopoly-style, they have the opportunity to purchase savings opportunities that require an upfront investment but pay out a set amount in savings each each year (or trip around the board). There are smaller investments such as LED light bulbs and fresh air filters, mid-level investments like programmable thermostats and energy-efficient appliances, and large-scale investments such as geothermal heating and cooling systems.
Players can also land on “Spark Card” spaces that require them to draw a card.
“The Spark Cards is where all the education is, but we mix it in with the game to make it fun,” said Jubal.
There are energy-saving Spark Cards and energy-spending Spark Cards. Examples of energy-saving activities listed on the Spark Cards included:
- Cleaned HVAC air filter monthly
- Ran appliances after 8 p.m.
- Used a grill instead of an oven
- Added insulation to hot water tank
- Used ceiling fans and raised thermostat
- Air dried dishes from the dishwasher
- Hung clothes out to dry instead of using dryer
Despite difficulties with their robot, the team took first place at the state competition thanks to their outstanding project and presentation. The team members’ parents say the experience of creating the game was educational for everyone involved.
“We read about energy vampires—things that shouldn’t be plugged in when you’re not using them—and one of them was a coffee maker,” said Tricia Stockebrand. “I religiously unplug my coffee maker now just because of this project.”