Lego League School Robotics

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FIRST LEGO League (FLL-For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a global program created to get kids excited about science and technology. Focusing on students, ages 9-14. FLL utilizes theme-based Challenges to engage kids in research, problem solving, and engineering. The FLL program prepares elementary-aged students to think like scientists and engineers through a fun, creative, hands-on learning experience. The ultimate vision of FLL is to “create a world where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes” (see attached impact statement from FLL). The Durango First Lego League’s Mission is to inspire students to explore science and technology to solve global problems through local action.

2011 Challenge

In this year's Food Factor Challenge, teams will build, test, and program an autonomous robot using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT to solve a set of food safety missions as well as research, develop, and share their innovative food safety solutions. Throughout their experience, teams will operate under FLL’s signature set of Core Values. Can FIRST® LEGO® League Teams improve our quality of life? We’ll see. FLL theme-based challenges engage kids in:

  • Research, problem solving, and engineering.
  • Critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills.
  • Other cornerstones of the program areits core values, which emphasize perseverance, contributions of others, friendly sportsmanship, learning, and community involvement.

Guided by a team coach and assisted by mentors, kids will research and solve this real-world problem, present their research and solutions in a final competition. Through this process team members learn valuable life skills such as respect for others, appreciation of different perspectives, perseverance, and time management.

Core Values

The FLL Core Values are the cornerstones of the FLL program. They are among the fundamental elements that distinguish FLL from other programs of its kind. By embracing the Core Values, participants learn that friendly competition and mutual gain are not separate goals, and that helping one another is the foundation of teamwork.

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  • We are a team.
  • We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors.
  • We honor the spirit of friendly competition.
  • What we discover is more important that what we win.
  • We share our experiences with others.
  • We display gracious professionalism in everything we do.
  • We have fun!

Impact of the FIRST Robotics Competition

Recently, Brandeis University’s Center for Youth and Communities conducted an independent, retrospective survey of FIRST Robotics Competition participants and compared results to a group of non-FIRST students with similar backgrounds and academic experiences, including math and science. Highlights of the study’s findings include:

When compared with the comparison group, FIRST students are:

  • More than 3 times as likely to major specifically in engineering.
  • Roughly 10 times as likely to have had an apprenticeship, internship, or co-op job in their freshman year.
  • Significantly more likely to expect to achieve a post graduate degree.
  • More than twice as likely to expect to pursue a career in science and technology.
  • Nearly 4 times as likely to expect to pursue a career specifically in engineering.
  • More than twice as likely to volunteer in their communities.

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