From LEGO to Leadership

From LEGO to Leadership: How this student-led club is empowering girls in STEM

What began as a small lunchtime LEGO club in 2023 has grown into one of MLC’s most dynamic student-led communities. Today, the LEGO & Robotics Club is not just about building robots, it’s about building confidence, leadership and a future where girls lead in technology.

When Year 10 Science and VCE Chemistry teacher Elizabeth Leong introduced the club at MLC, it welcomed anyone with an interest in LEGO or robotics. The goal was simple: create a supportive, low-pressure space for girls to learn coding and robotics.

Initially, eight students signed up, eager to try something new. Within months, they were competing in the FIRST LEGO League Challenge—and winning. That early success sparked a movement. Today, the club has more than 40 student members, multiple supervising teachers, and a reputation for creativity and innovation.

Students learn how to build LEGO structures, practice basic block coding, and create functioning robots. For those seeking an extra challenge, there’s the option to join, or create a team to participate in the FIRST LEGO League Challenge in Term 4.

Teams can range from two to ten members, supported by a team coach. Coaches are staff whose main role is to supervise on competition days, but most go above and beyond, building strong relationships with their teams and supporting them throughout the season.

The energy of the club comes from its students, with collaboration and leadership as defining features. Senior members step into roles such as Outreach Event Leader, Marketing Leader, Tech Mentor, Build It Up Mentor, and Innovate Mentor, each offering real responsibility and impact. From planning events and designing promotional materials to teaching coding basics, guiding robot builds, and helping teams think creatively about their innovation projects, these roles empower students to mentor younger peers and shape the club’s culture.

“There are countless opportunities to learn skills such as programming and building robots in a fun environment. As well as technical knowledge, we also develop creative thinking through researching and designing an idea based around the theme of the annual FIRST LEGO League competition,” students collectively shared. 

“For many of us, the most enjoyable moments came from new friendships formed amidst shared triumphs and frustrations, including christening our new robot, making impromptu balloon animals and meeting international teams at the Asia Pacific Open Championships.” 

Encouraging girls in STEM is at the heart of the LEGO & Robotics Club. Research shows that female students are often less confident in technology and engineering fields, and twice as many boys aspire to STEM careers compared to girls. This confidence gap can limit opportunities, but at MLC, the club is changing that narrative. By creating a space where students can experiment, fail safely, and see their ideas come to life, the club helps dismantle confidence barriers and opens new pathways.

“The beauty about coding with LEGO robots is that students can visually see the output of their code immediately on the robots,” Elizabeth explains. “Once girls gain the confidence and understanding of the logic of coding, you will be amazed at how quickly they are at adapting the knowledge into what they can do, and how they can overcome the confidence barrier to take on other challenges in such fields.”

 “I have seen club alumni choosing to take VCE subjects in Software Development and Data Analytics, as well discovering their interest in pursuing various Engineering streams at university - all because the club gave them a chance to see what they can actually do.”

The achievements speak for themselves. From regional wins to hosting the National FIRST LEGO League Challenge in 2025, MLC teams have made their mark. The founding team, PRISM-bots, even represented Australia at the Asia Pacific Open Championships, earning praise for their efficiency and ingenuity, drawing attention for being one of the few all-girls teams. In 2025, two MLC teams progressed to Nationals Challenge which was hosted at MLC.

The vision for the future of the club is exciting: every year level represented in competitions, alumni mentoring current students and partnerships that turn student innovation projects, such as underwater exploration robots and archaeological mapping devices, into reality. Ultimately, the club aims to create a movement: girls supporting girls in STEM, at MLC and beyond.