Robots, websites, video games and stop motion animation were just some of the creativity on display at Darlington School on Thursday morning.
Darlington hosted its annual Technology Competition and community judges got to see and hear about a wide variety of tech services, products, gadgets and videos created by students of all ages and grade levels.
Students in each grade category are judged on a variety of criteria and must present their project to a panel of judges.
Academic Technology Coordinator Leah Lynn said 48 students in third through 12th grades participated in the competition.
“The students have about a month to work on their projects and they do it purely outside of school,” she said. “Of course they can use the school’s resources and some students will stay after school to do that but it should be done mostly on their own.”
The competition is hosted by the Georgia Educational and Technology Consortium, which puts it on for the entire state of Georgia, and they decide the categories.
Students get to choose from those categories, Lynn said.
For example, in the Robotics category, students had to create autonomous moving machines engineered and programmed by the student to perform tasks, solve problems, or demonstrate specific functions.
Milan Levy and Levi Lazzaroni presented in the 7-8 Grade Robotics category, showing judges the robot they designed and constructed which they also coded to perform various tasks in competition.
Kate Rogers and Greta Conti created a meticulously photographed and sequenced stop-motion animation video in the 3-4 Grade Animation category.
Vihaan Patel was all business as he presented in the 5-6 Grade Digital Game Design Category, explaining and demonstrating to the judges how his game could help kids understand the stock market. Players of his game are given a certain amount of money at the start of play and the game simulates the stock market fluctuating. Players are then able to buy and sell whenever they like, but the game monitors how much money they’re gaining or losing as prices go up and down.
Lynn said she loves seeing students become passionate about their projects.
Anderson Cox and David Zelenak were excited to present a website they created. David owns a 3D printer and has created a variety of cool toys with it. He and Anderson named their website Toys From The Boys and it acts as a marketplace for other kids, who may not have access to a 3D printer, to purchase those toys. They designed the website, photographed their merchandise and created links to purchase.
“Technology is absolutely necessary today,” Lynn said. That’s the time we’re living in. Students have to have that skill. But for them to be passionate about it and enjoy it is what I really really love. It’s not just using technology, it’s what excites them and what could be a possible career.”
Winners of the Darlington Technology Competition will be announced Monday, Nov. 17, and will advance to the regional competition at Georgia Highlands College in January. Winners from that regional contest will go on to the state competition in March.
This was originally published in the Rome News-Tribune on Nov. 13, 2025.
