FIRST Lego League Results!

On November 12th, our FLL Team(s) competed in a qualifying event. They've been working hard all season and even over the summer. I am pleased to announce they won in several categories. The team work win got them the chance to compete in Rochester this weekend. Our sister team (mentored by Dan and another dad) is also going to Rochester. They won the robot game. Other awards LEGO Da Vinci won were the Community Outreach Award for contacting experts and learning from them and the Most Efficient Attachment- which is pictured below. It is a beast of a thing that lowers and grabs the object and takes it back to the base in the corner of the mat. The competition consists of three activities: The robot game, the project, and the team work exercise. Our team displayed Uh-Mazing team work when they worked together to build a car. They had 3 minutes and it was Flaw-Less. They made a decision, divided the task, and got the job done while showing "gracious professionalism"- they complimented one other and spoke positively the entire time. It was a proud moment for parents and coaches alike!

The kids have 2.5 minutes to perform about a dozen "missions" with the robot on the mat which has LEGO models to interact with. The teams program the nxt bricks to perform tasks. Above E13 was working on programming the robot to drive out from base and pick up that truck and take it back to base. Each mission has its own point value in the robot game.

This is a competition round in Corning, NY. The kids go in pairs to do the timed runs while the other team mates cheer them on! It's a very exciting time for the teams. They get one practice round and three timed runs which determine their final score.

Sunday the kids compete again in Rochester. This is the first year our teams have qualified and they are very excited. The Food Fanatics (the second team) won an award for their thorough research in addition to their robot performance. We are looking forward to the event this weekend. Before we get there we have two more practices this week where the kids will likely practice their timed runs for the robot game. They want to make sure their missions are solid.

For those of you unfamiliar with the FIRST organization (For Inspiration in Research, Science, and Technology) it was founded by Dean Kamen (inventor of the Segway) to get kids involved in science and engineering.

"To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders."

Dean Kamen, Founder

Mission
Our mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.