McCOOK, Neb. — Fourth and fifth graders at Central Elementary’s Crackerjack program put their math and science skills to the test using tiny robots called “ozzobots.”

The students designed a city and moved their lighted-up “bots” along the pathways, using a code they develped using colors.

The program was presented by Michele Weimer, a volunteer with “The Thinkery” in McCook. The bots were purchased by funds donated by the McCook Coumminity Foundation and will be used for a community-wide activity for elementary-aged children, she said, who envsions a possible Lego-robotic club for children in the future.

The kids loved using tiny “robots” to reinforce math skills, said Dawn Diederich, fifth grade teacher at Central, who coordinates the Crackerjack program at the school along with Caitlin Winkler, also a fifth grade teacher at Central.

Some studies have pointed to a “confidence gap” in girls, where they inherently feel they are not good at math and STEM activities, starting as young as first grade.

Diederick confirmed that this project was a great way to promote STEM activities to girls and “to build their confidence,” hopefully keeping that confidence in math and science through their high school years.

But at Central, boys and girls alike had no problem sharing their enthusiasm for the project, drawing and re-drawing black lines on their “city” for the bots to travel and checking their code books.

Also assisting in this project were McCook High School students involved with the after-school technology club, who help with technology issues at the high school.