Legoland Malaysia celebrates record success with Asia-wide school challenge

JOHOR BHARU - In a grand celebration of creativity and innovation, Legoland® Malaysia Resort marked a historic moment with the conclusion of its Legoland School Challenge 2024.

This year's event broke participation records, with over 3,700 students from across Asia joining forces to create breathtaking Lego® masterpieces inspired by the theme "World of Fantasy."

Now in its third year, the challenge continues to thrive, with participation increasing by 50 per cent compared to the previous year.

For the first time, the event attracted international attention, drawing entries from China, Thailand and Laos.

With a total of 554 submissions, the challenge showcased the boundless imagination and technical skills of students from diverse cultural backgrounds.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi praised the event for aligning with the state’s commitment to promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.

"I am especially pleased to see such strong participation from schools across Johor, reflecting the enthusiasm and dedication of our students to engaging in innovative and creative endeavours.

"As we continue to foster innovation and learning in our schools, events like this play a crucial role in preparing our next generation of leaders," he said in his speech during the prize-giving ceremony held at the resort on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Education Ministry Deputy Director General Zainal Abas said the ministry as a strategic partner was glad to support Legoland Malaysia Resort in the ongoing drive to empower teachers and students with a positive avenue for hands-on learning.

"Our young ones can develop more STEM-based skills as well as learn to collaborate with others in a fun and engaging environment.

"We are also very proud of the Legoland School Challenge winners, as they represent the incredible potential of our next generation of leaders, thinkers and builders in Malaysia.

"The entries we’ve witnessed from the students are truly inspiring and we hope to continue supporting initiatives of this nature in the future," Zainal said.

Legoland Malaysia Resort Divisional Director CS Lim said the school challenge was something close to their hearts as it embodies the essence of the Lego DNA which was learning through play.

"We are delighted to have achieved several new milestones this year, from reaching a record-breaking number of submissions to welcoming new teams from countries across Asia and most importantly, being able to make the challenge even more accessible to underprivileged students nationwide.

"We are grateful for the support from the Malaysian government in making this success possible and we hope to continue working together to enhance education in the nation," he said adding that Legoland was more committed than ever to reach new heights through the programme.

This year, in collaboration with the Education Ministry and the state education department, Legoland Malaysia Resort donated 50 Lego sets to schools across Malaysia, ensuring more students could bring their creative visions to life and participate in the challenge.

With the ministry’s support in identifying and reaching these schools, more students were empowered to bring their creative visions to life and take part in the challenge.

During the event, 16 winning teams received prizes worth over RM100,000, including iconic Lego trophies, Lego Play Sets and the chance to attend an exclusive Lego Building Workshop with a Lego Expert Model Builder.

Campus Rangers International School, Kuala Lumpur, won the grand prize in the secondary school category, while SK Bukit Damansara clinched first place in the primary school category.

The winning Lego models will be on display at Miniland in Legoland Malaysia Resort until Dec 31, recognising the teams' incredible talent and hard work.