FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an organization dedicated to the growth and development of young minds. The mission: "FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering." (www.usfirst.org/about)
The FIRST Lego League is a division of the FIRST organization geared toward middle-school and junior high students, grades 5-8.
Teams are made up of a group of students interested in participating and each competing team is given a challenge to perform.
The team has eight weeks to build a robot, write a computer program to run the robot and practice the challenges they will be asked to perform at local and state competitions. Formal practice begins in September and the competitions begin in November.
Under the supervision of dedicated coaches, each team will be given specifications to build a robot for the challenge. The parts and pieces are provided in a kit and coaches will guide the team to assembling the robot.
Each team is also required to write a computer program to "tell" the robot what to do during the challenge. Laptop computers are used to write the programs and communicate with the robots.
Hypothesis presentation is another key area of the competition. This component allows the team to give a formal presentation explaining the process they used to build their robot and write the programming.
With your parents' permission, fill out an application for our team at the beginning of the school year and return it to the sponsor.
In the fall, regular practices will be held and attendance at the practices is required. There are only eight weeks to prepare for the competition and every practice counts!
You are an important member of the team - no matter what your talents are! If you can build a robot or program a computer, that's great! What if you are a good speaker? Do you know how to organize a nice presentation? Do you like to cheer your teammates on and have a good time supporting your team? There is a place for many different talents in FIRST Lego League!
Commitment is essential in building a successful team and giving a team a real chance to WIN! Every team member must be able to commit to go to all competitions.
Myth: Only 'A' students can participate.
WRONG! Every student in grades 6-8 who are willing to dedicate the time and work to the project is encouraged to apply for our team. Team members are selected based on criteria developed and published by the Chamber of Commerce Education Committee.
Myth: Girls aren't invited.
Girls are not only invited to participate on our team, but their efforts in all area of the challenge are encouraged and applauded!
Myth: I won't make the team because I don't know anything about robots or computer programming.
Building the robot and writing the program are only two parts of the process. The team is also judged on team spirit, leadership, hypothesis presentation, and several other categories that require more than just knowing how to write a computer program!