Official FIRST LEGO League Jr. & FIRST LEGO League Blog

Go Beyond the Bots!

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 17:59:02 GMT

Join us for the first episode of our Beyond the Bots^SM series on FIRSTtv tomorrow, January 16, at 12 p.m. Eastern Time. During the show, FIRST^® game designers will pull back the curtain to see a never-before-revealed look at the evolution of game design over the last 30+ years.

We will also be joined by experts from Disney, Automation Direct, and members from the FIRST^® LEGO^® League & FIRST^®Tech Challenge game design teams. At the end of the show, teams will have a chance to submit questions during an “ask me almost anything” segment. 

We hope you can join us for this special look behind the scenes of the game design process! Tune in at https://www.twitch.tv/firstinspires.

Join us for the FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 18:19:24 GMT

Join us on Saturday, January 9 at 12:00 pm (noon) ET for the FIRST^® Robotics Competition Kickoff Celebration. Catch the broadcast on FIRSTtv as we reveal the details of the FIRST Innovation Challenge presented by Qualcomm, INFINITE RECHARGE at Home, and the Game Design Challenge.

Learn more about FIRST Robotics Competition here, and let us know if you’re tuning in by using #FIRSTGAMECHANGERS on social media!

Happy Holidays from FIRST!

Tue, 22 Dec 2020 14:00:00 GMT

Join us for an #HourofCode on Dec. 12

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 14:29:00 GMT

At FIRST^®, we believe every student deserves the opportunity to study computer science and should have access to quality computer science learning programs. To further extend these types of resources to students around the world, we’re excited to host a free Hour of Code with WPI on Saturday, December 12 at 1PM ET as a part of Computer Science Education Week.

During this special broadcast on FIRSTtv, we will break down a complex task to help students build their programming skills at little-to-no-cost, whether they’re meeting with their teams in person, virtually, or working individually from home.

We hope you can join us! Tune in on Saturday at 1 PM ET: https://www.twitch.tv/firstinspires #CsEdWeek #HourOfCode

How to Access Digital Guidebooks in Thinkscape

Tue, 24 Nov 2020 19:00:00 GMT

This season, all registered PLAYMAKERS^SMand RePLAY^SM teams in the U.S. and Canada can access digital season resources through our Thinkscape portal (if your team is located outside of the U.S. or Canada, please contact your local Program Delivery Partner for assistance with accessing digital resources).

Included with the digital resources are Spanish and French language guidebooks for all FIRST^® LEGO^®League divisions.

Find instructions for accessing digital materials in Thinkscape by FIRST LEGO League division below:

Celebrating National Entrepreneurs’ Day

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 15:52:59 GMT

November 17 is National Entrepreneurs’ Day, and we’re celebrating the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs who are changing the game in big ways. FIRST^® LEGO^® League teams are no strangers to innovation, creating solutions to real-world problems as part of their Innovation Projects each season.

We can’t wait to see what innovative solutions teams come up with this RePLAY^SM season! How’s your team’s Innovation Project coming along? Share an update on social media using #FIRSTGAMECHANGERS or send us an email at fll –media@firstinspires.org for a chance to be featured!

4 Tips to Celebrate National STEM Day with Remote Learning

Fri, 06 Nov 2020 15:05:00 GMT

Sunday, November 8 is National STEM Day

Today’s post is by Tammy Pankey and Lori Birch, members of the FIRST Education Team. It was originally featured on the FIRST Inspire Blog.

Students need social and emotional connection to their peers and mentors now more than ever. Doing hands-on learning with FIRST provides social collaboration and community for students. The pandemic has limited many students’ opportunities for hands-on learning, creating a lack of meaningful engagement and a disconnect from relevance in their learning. FIRST is about helping student learn to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and persevere in the face of challenges – including those posed by remote learning.

STEM has always been the catalyst that can drive change, inspiring young people to go on to better our world. Just as we inspire students to innovate and solve problems, we’re doing the same by adapting our programs and opportunities to remote and hybrid learning environments, so students can continue to participate in FIRST and benefit from the opportunities it provides, despite the pandemic. FIRST participants celebrate their accomplishments, form lifelong friendships, and gain the experience and support system that they need to be successful.

FIRST programs make a positive impact on student learning through project-based learning that creates authentic learning opportunities relevant experiences provided by our programs, both competitive team and classroom-based opportunities. Our longitudinal study data shows that experiencing just one year of FIRST has a positive impact on STEM outcomes for students. These outcomes are demonstrated by this program’s rigorous and relevant content that incorporates relationships within a team and the larger community. One of the most valuable elements of FIRST are the life skills it instills in students in the face of challenges.

Four Ways to Explore STEM Remotely with FIRST:

Explore remote STEM activities with free FIRST at Home lessons

We’ve created free and flexible FIRST @ Home lessons to support the continuation of learning and skill development. These lessons represent an opportunity to build a variety of technical skills, career preparedness, and holistic skills to prepare for life – ranging from high tech, to low tech, to no tech. The FIRST @ Home activities can be used in a full remote environment with supplies that students can find a home. They offer hands-on STEM learning to help students keep engaged when they may not have access to other supplies such as robots. The continuation of their hands-on learning will help them to stay engaged and progress in STEM skills that will help them throughout life.

Use our remote program guidance to host remote FIRST team meetings

FIRST has created guidance on how to implement our programs and embrace the “sport of the mind” in a remote or hybrid setting. This guidance includes remote meeting ideas and how to support the students and their parents and guardians in these settings. There are many creative ways to engage teams and classrooms in the FIRST programs outlined in the guidance provided on our COVID-19 impact page.

Support parents and guardians at home

Parents and guardians take on an even more critical role in students’ lives during remote instruction. While many parents monitor their children’s play and schoolwork, they may not realize the learning and developing that happens through hands-on STEM and play. As educators, you can guide your students’ families and provide additional opportunities for parents to play and build with their children. We have resources for parents on our FIRST @ Home site as well to help parents guide their students in project-based learning, along with other great resources to help parents balance the challenge of parenting and at-home teaching.

Get creative!

Creativity is a key to face challenges and overcome obstacles, and this includes being creative with your own situation and the challenges you face. The tools available in the FIRST @ Home activities help create opportunities for playful creativity to increase hands-on learning and keep students engaged in a FUN way that allows them to explore their passions and interests.

Giving students the opportunity to solve through real-world problems is an invaluable gift that will help prepare them for their future. FIRST inspires creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking building their future workforce skills.

We’ve extended the FIRST season and developed remote engagement solutions for all of our programs. Head over to the FIRST Dashboard to register your team, or if you’re new to FIRST click here to find out how to get started. It’s time to be GAME CHANGERS!

STEM Careers #IRL: Javion Mosley

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 14:00:00 GMT

Meet Javion Mosley! Javion works at FIRST^® LEGO^® League Global Sponsor Rockwell Automation and is a mentor for Team #2830 Riverside Robotigers. Javion is also a FIRST^® alum!

In addition to robotics, Javion loves to travel and experience as many new things as he can. Javion’s passion for travel and STEM even brought him to China, where he was an intern at Rockwell Automation before he started his full-time work.

Javion’s STEM superheroes are Wilbur and Orville Wright, thanks to his admiration of flight.

Javion advice to teams? Treat FIRST as part of your building blocks for your future, as the steps you take today will affect your outcome tomorrow.

STEM Careers #IRL: Pedro Alejandro Yang

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 14:56:00 GMT

Meet Pedro Alejandro Yang! Pedro has a special connection to FIRST^®LEGO^® League, as he’s a member of LEGO^®Education’s Competitions Team. Pedro works closely with our Program Delivery Partners around the globe.

Pedro is also an Olympian who played badminton in the 2004 Summer Olympics! Being an athlete requires consuming calories for energy, and a hobby Pedro enjoys is cooking recipes that famous chefs posts on YouTube.

Pedro’s STEM superhero is Woodie Flowers because he was an amazing STEM advocate and invented what we know today in the FIRST^® community as Gracious Professionalism^®.

Pedro’s advice to teams? It’s not about winning, but the learnings and friends you make in your journey.

STEM Careers #IRL: Leanne Cushing

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 15:50:00 GMT

This month, we’re highlighting some of the people who helped inspire the PLAYMAKERS^SMand RePLAY^SMseason #IRL. Check out all of their stories in the Career Connections sections of our season guides!

Meet Leanne Cushing, a FIRST^® alum and mechanical engineer that works at Bellwether Coffee. Leanne was on a FIRST^® Robotics Competition team in high school, and with the help of her mentors, learned that mechanical design was her passion.

Leanne is still building robots today with her BattleBots team, Valkyrie. You may have even seen her on TV as the team designs, builds, and competes with their 250-pound robot on the Discovery Channel!

Leanne’s STEM superhero is Bill Nye, and she admires his love of entertaining combined with his love of engineering and teaching. Bill showed Leanne that she could be entertaining, social, and brainy. He inspired a lot of her curiosity and taught her so much from a young age.

Leanne’s advice to teams? “Passion isn’t perfection. Be your own favorite version of yourself; don’t let other people tell you who to be or what you can or cannot do. Don’t talk yourself out of trying something new. Worst case, you have a new opinion or story to share”.

STEM Careers #IRL: Jay Flores

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 14:05:00 GMT

This month, we’re highlighting some of the people who helped inspire the PLAYMAKERS^SMand RePLAY^SMseason #IRL. Check out all of their stories in the Career Connections sections of our season guides!

Jay Flores is a great friend and supporter of FIRST^®. You may have recently seen him on our Instagram LIVE series “Changing the Game” powered by Rockwell Automation. In the series, Jay has live conversations with people who are changing the game in the world of sports.

Jay is a Global STEM Ambassador at FIRST^® LEGO^® League Global Sponsor Rockwell Automation. He helped design the FIRST^® Robotics Competition experience and also helped FIRST create strategies to reach more kids!

Jay is also no stranger to the small screen – he’s been on two athletic competition TV shows: Exalton Estados Unidos on Telemundo (2019) and BattleFrog League Championship on ESPN (2016).

Jay is a STEM superhero in his own right thanks to all the work he does to support FIRST and STEM education, but who are his STEM superheroes? All the FIRST LEGO League students solving real problems in their communities!

As Jay cheers on teams this season, he has one key piece of advice:
Invent the change you want to see in the world!

Get Your Season Started with these Video Resources

Fri, 25 Sep 2020 18:06:31 GMT

Are you a new coach this season, or looking for a refresher on what to expect? We think you’ll love these short introductory videos our Program Delivery Partner in the United Kingdom and Ireland, The IET, created for each division!

Check out the videos below for a walkthrough of the materials for the PLAYMAKERS^SM and RePLAY^SM season and the skills students will develop as they explore the world of sports, play, and fitness.

FIRST LEGO League Discover:

FIRST LEGO League Explore:

FIRST LEGO League Challenge:

We hope these videos help you understand what to expect this season. We’ve also created modification guidance and digital access to season materials to help you facilitate the program remotely or on a hybrid schedule.

We hope you have a great season! Share your team’s journey with us on social media using #FIRSTGAMECHANGERS and see what other teams are up to on our Community Wall.

Tips & Tricks for Building your RePLAY Mission Models

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 15:00:00 GMT

Today’s post was written by Mike Grenier, FIRST^® LEGO^® League Mechanical Engineer. We hope you find these tips and tricks helpful as you assemble your RePLAY^SM Mission Models!

Find the RePLAY^SM Mission Model Building Instructions here.

A few tips before you begin:

Make sure to take your time! All Mission Models serve a purpose/function, so improper builds can cause large flaws in the game
Make sure to grab all parts listed in the top left corner of each step.
Remember: when grabbing parts, make sure that you take note of the color and length that it calls for.
Organizing beams, axles, and other elements by length, can help decrease error margin and can sometimes help save time.
Watch for pictures of what you are building. There may be assemblies or subassemblies that need to be built more than once and will include a 1x, 2x, 3x… etc.
The symbol shown below signifies an orientation/view change. This is different than years past and is important to note. Make sure to orient the model to mimic the view shown in that step.

Teamwork is key with a task like this. It will take a single person many hours to complete a Challenge Set. With a team, the work can be divided among many people. Remember: Many hands make for light work!
Working with a team not only can make for light work but can also help decrease the margin of error.
Having several individuals following along, helping with the build, and/or checking your work, makes it significantly harder to make those same mistakes you may have made on your own!

Bag 1:

Contents: Green Cubes, Red Cubes, Yellow Cubes, Blue Cubes, Precision Tokens, Health Units, Cell Phone and RePLAY^SM Pins

First, it is important to note that the RePLAY Pins do not have a function in the game and because of this, a placement for these will not be mentioned in the Robot Game Field Setup. These are simply a fun keepsake for your team!
As a general comment, and one you will notice in this bag, is that you will build many similar subassemblies. To save time, make sure you are watching for the multiplier (example: x5). It is key for these types of models.

Bag 2:

Contents: Pull-Up Bar

Remember when I mentioned the importance of noting subassembly counts? Well, here is another example where you can use that new skill!
Beginning on page 9 (Step 14), you will see a picture of a subassembly noted 2x. This can save you quite a bit of time if you build them together. Otherwise, when you get all the way to page 20 and have to go back to page 9 begin the process again before continuing to Page 21.

Bag 3:

Contents: Bench and Basketball

This bag requires quite a few elements be collected from the unlabeled bags provided in your Challenge Set. Make sure to grab all the proper lengths and take note of the color and quantity of each element.
It is also important to note that this bag includes two models that are made of more than one mechanical structure. Page 30 and Page 42 show the assembly of these pieces into individual models and provide helpful instructions for the model with a yellow arrow.
Page 42 shows the hoop being placed on the rest of the basketball assembly. This might be tricky to setup the first time, so take note of the helpful yellow arrows provided for combining these structures.

Bag 4:

Contents: Slide and Step Counter

Again, this bag requires quite a few elements be collected from the unlabeled bags provided in your Challenge Set. Make sure to grab all the proper lengths and take note of the color and quantity of each element.
This model has many unique mechanical connections and it is recommended that you build slower than usual and double check your work as you go.
On Page 42, you will be asked to press an axel and coupling together. Make sure that that when you assemble these elements that you do not press these together too hard, as this needs to be able to move freely.
On Page 46, take your time to ensure proper alignment. It is quite easy to misalign this locking mechanism, and this could lead to a model failure.

Bag 5:

Contents: Boccia Frame, Boccia Aim, Boccia Share

In this bag, you will be building elements of the shared mission model for this season. It is important to take your time with this model to ensure proper function.
On Page 62, in one of the final steps, you will be asked to combine the tipping mechanism with the main structure. It is quite easy to misalign this which could result in the model not functioning as intended.

Bag 6:

Contents: Weight Machine and Row Machine

Again, this bag requires quite a few elements be collected from the unlabeled bags provided in your Challenge Set. Make sure to grab all the proper lengths and take note of the color and quantity of each element.
On Page 40, take note of the orientation of the rack. It is easy to flip this and then the model would not function as intended!
On Page 50, it is quite easy to mix up which side you are looking at and it can get confusing. Try to make sure that the blue wheels are on the correct side early on.

Bag 7:

Contents: Heavy Tire, Light Tire, and Treadmill

This bag includes the treadmill, which is a highly mechanical model. Take your time when building this as there are many moving parts.
On Page 6, you will be asked to push a white coupling into place. Make sure to not press too hard, as this could add friction due to compression that may cause the model to not function as intended.
On Page 38, you will be asked to put a number of colored elements into place. If you are working with a black and white print, this could prove quite difficult. You may want to refer to a screen or ask multiple team members to double check the color placement. You can also look to your Robot Game Rulebook for additional pictures of this model.

Bag 8:

Contents: Innovation Elements

This bag is unique in that we provided a bag of elements that do not require building. Instead, they have a different purpose in this year’s Challenge. You can use this to prototype your project solution and then use this design as a way to earn points in the Robot Game (M01 – Innovation Project)! Check out this year’s Challenge Documents for more details about how these fun elements are used!

Bag 9:

Contents: Giveaways!

This bag is also unique in that none of the contents of this bag serve a game purpose. Instead, these are giveaways provided by LEGO^®. Share, have fun, and enjoy!

Have fun building, and have a wonderful RePLAY season. Good luck, teams!

Check out our Challenge and Resources page and YouTube channel for more RePLAY resources.

2020/2021 Team Email Blast Archive

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 17:11:49 GMT

We send email blasts from FIRST^® Headquarters to FIRST^® LEGO^® League Explore and FIRST^® LEGO^® League Challenge teams in the United States and Canada biweekly. Outside of the U.S. or Canada? Your local Program Delivery Partner will send information to the teams in your region.

Miss a blast or prefer to keep your inbox clear? Check out the team email blast archive for the 2020-2021 PLAYMAKERS^SM and REPLAY^SM season below. Blasts are sent to teams every other Friday, and we’ll post links to the emails on Mondays.

July 2020:

FIRST LEGO League Explore Team Blast- July, 31, 2020

Behind the Scenes at the 2020 Global Innovation Award

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 18:32:41 GMT

This post was written by Sarah Stray, FIRST Innovation Awards Manager.

Each year, FIRST LEGO League teams are tasked with a real-world problem in the annual Challenge theme; these Innovation Projects have a chance to vie for the Global Innovation Award. Exemplary Projects advance from their local region and after three phases of judging, the top 20 teams are invited to a multi-day event, complete with judging, inspiration, workshops, and connectivity.

Not surprisingly, this year was unique—it was the tenth anniversary, a natural time to reflect on how the award has grown from small beginnings to now shining a spotlight not only on some stellar inventions, but showcasing that educating youth on how to innovate is critically important. When we made the decision to pivot to a remote event experience this year, we knew we were in uncharted waters. However, we felt excitement and joy that we could still deliver that central tenet (which is a fancy way of saying we really dig shouting from any figurative rooftop that kids will solve important problems very well if you let them)! And yes – we were sad, too about not getting to be together in Orlando, Florida within the Disney Parks, but we also knew with a few refocuses on our spotlight, it would still shine brightly on our Global Innovation Award teams.

So, here’s a behind-the-scenes glimpse of our remote days together:

Opportunities expanded.

With boundaries of physical distance no longer an impediment, we were able to recruit top talent from our Global Innovation Award sponsors from around the globe. Mentor from Australia – yep! Teams had two 1:1 mentor sessions with experts from our sponsors and also heard dynamic employees talk about their career paths.

Teams and coaches were game for everything.

An important competency when innovating is the ability to improvise. Something unexpected comes your way? No problem. Something you’ve never encountered before? I’ll give that a try. Our teams this year exhibited this improvisation at every turn. They helped us practice our remote judging format, they were willing to help with some sneaky sponsor thank you signs, they helped create content for our Broadcast, they lip synced, and they got creative with our theme days—Emoji Day, MEME Day, and Wacky Tacky day. You name it, they embraced giving it a try with grace and gusto.

Teams remained truly connected.

As we planned ways to engage our teams from around the world, we knew giving ample opportunity for them to stay connected with each other was key. Teams participated in virtual games, a Disney scavenger hunt, built virtual pits to showcase their Innovation Projects, got to know each other by meeting in small groups, and played trivia together. They shared regional cuisine through recipe sharing and teams posted the yummy results in our daily activity feed. My fave? Chocolate lava mug cake from the Greenscapers.

Gratitude.

We saw coaches working tirelessly to prepare for this remote event and because we were iterating as we planned, new tasks popped up closer to their deadlines than is typical for the Global Innovation Award. Coaches were amazing at keeping all their team members on task and on track. During our first coach webinar, one of the team coaches typed in the chat “Our team was super surprised it was still happening. THANK YOU!”

This type of profound gratitude towards FIRST always takes me aback. It probably shouldn’t; I often see it overflowing within the FIRST community.

My intrinsic response is always—it’s our job to help youth be their best selves and prepare for life and the workforce. In this, we are unflappable. It is our honor. It is our privilege.

As always and especially in this unique year, it is us who are grateful for you.

The Annual Global Innovation Award presented by Disney was held June 24-27, 2020. Learn more about the award and this year’s event here. Learn more about the upcoming FIRST GAME CHANGERS season here.

Cast your Vote & watch the live Global Innovation Award Show on June 27

Wed, 24 Jun 2020 14:07:12 GMT

We’re just days away from the 10th Annual FIRST^® LEGO^® League Global Innovation Award presented by Disney! This year, Disney has teamed up with FIRST^® to inspire and celebrate the next generation of innovators who will change the future through the Global Innovation Award. 20 semi-finalist teams from around the world are showcasing their creative solutions for safer and more accessible spaces in cities and communities.

During the award show broadcast on June 27 at 11 AM on FIRSTtv, one team will win $20,000 USD to further their invention. Two runners-up will win $5,000 USD, and you’ll also get to cast your vote live for the Community Choice Award! The Community Choice Award is your chance to tell us which invention YOU think will make the greatest impact. You can vote in the FIRSTtv Twitch Chat throughout the show.

Before you tine-in and cast your vote, check out the team pitch videos to learn about the innovative solutions they created during the CITY SHAPER season:

Watch the award show broadcast to also hear from the semi-finalist teams, FIRST Founder Dean Kamen, and get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and live Q&A with Disney Imagineers.

Who will YOU choose for the Community Choice Award? Which team will take home the Global Innovation Award and receive $20,000 USD to further their invention? Join us to find out on Saturday, June 27 at 11 AM ET for the live show on FIRSTtv!

Celebrating 10 years of the Global Innovation Award

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 20:40:42 GMT

The 10^th annual Global Innovation Award presented by Disney is only a few days away (join us for the LIVE award show on June 27 at 11 AM ET on FIRSTtv), where FIRST^® LEGO^® League teams are recognized for their inventions and leading and inspiring the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, problem-solvers and changemakers!

As we learn about this year’s outstanding semi-finalists and celebrate a decade of the #GlobalInnovationAward, we also pause to reflect on the many amazing inventions and stories we’ve seen unfold over the years. Today, we’re looking back at some of our innovation ambassadors, their inspiring stories, and inventions.

The Flying Monkeys

The Flying Monkeys from Ames, IA, USA were our inaugural Global Innovation Award winners from the 2010/2011 BODY FORWARD^SM season. They invented the BOB-1 Hand Device, a low-cost, easy to put on and off prosthetic device that enables the user to hold, grip, stabilize, or secure any item they otherwise may not have been able to manipulate. The invention was originally created for Danielle, a 3-year-old girl, to help her draw and color.

The Incredibots

The Incredibots from Gahanna, OH, USA created the Styro-Filter during the 2015/2016 TRASH TREK^SM season, which converts Styrofoam waste into activated carbon that can be used to purify water. Shortly after winning the Global Innovation Award in 2016, they participated in several other contests (including the Google Science Fair) and team spokesperson Ashton Cofer gave a TED talk about the team’s experience building the Styro-Filter that has over 1 million views!

The Thunderbots

The Thunderbots from Sacramento, CA, USA are Innovation Ambassadors from the 2017/2018 HYDRO DYNAMICS^SM season. They invented the UltraOrganix Filter, which removes bacteria and metal from water using solar water disinfection. The team is very active in their community and has helped over 30 rookie teams get their start in FIRST LEGO League in their region. Their proudest accomplishment so far? Creating a robotics education class called STEM Lab: LEGO^® Robotics that they implemented in their local library.

From improvements to the water cycle and making space duration more accessible to innovative solutions in waste management and animal health, past Global Innovation Award finalists have brought their inventions to market, received patents, and incorporated as businesses.

Feeling inspired?

This year’s semi-finalists created solutions to make their communities safer and more accessible during the CITY SHAPER^SMseason. Join us as we share their stories live during the 10^th annual Global Innovation Award presented by Disney on Saturday, June 27 at 11 AM ET on FIRSTtv.

Click here to sign-up to receive more innovation content and a reminder to watch the show.

A New Way to Connect with the FIRST LEGO League Community

Fri, 22 May 2020 14:05:21 GMT

Are you counting down the days until you can get your hands on the 2021 RePLAY^SMand PLAYMAKERS^SM Challenges?

To help hold you over until Challenge release on August 4, we’ve launched our new official FIRST^®LEGO^®League Facebook page where you can find exclusive content about the upcoming Challenge.

We’re excited to have another platform to connect with our amazing community! Make sure to like and follow the page to stay up-to-date about the upcoming season.

Get Your First Look at the 2021 Season

Thu, 14 May 2020 17:00:23 GMT

Have you heard the news? In case you missed it, we unveiled a new look last week – just in time for the upcoming season. Check it at www.firstlegoleague.org.

Speaking of the upcoming season, we’re giving you a first glimpse at this year’s Challenge on Friday (May 15) at 12 pm ET on our social channels.

We want to hear from YOU! @ us with your guesses about this year’s Challenge, and be sure to email or tweet us to let us know what you think about the reveal!

Exciting News! Introducing our Refreshed Look

Fri, 08 May 2020 17:16:30 GMT

Drumroll, please! We’re excited to unveil a refreshed look for FIRST^® LEGO^® League. Same program and impact, now with a simple, easy-to-understand structure. FIRST LEGO League is now one program, encompassing ages 4-16*/grades PreK-8, with three divisions:

FIRST LEGO League Discover (ages 4-6 / grades PreK-1)

FIRST LEGO League Explore (ages 6-10 / grades 2-4)

FIRST LEGO League Challenge (ages 9-16 / grades 4-8)

*Ages vary by region

With this change, FIRST^® transitions from four programs to three: FIRST LEGO League, FIRST^® Tech Challenge, and FIRST^® Robotics Competition. We hope to inspire even more kids and reinforce the value and excitement of our life-changing programs.

Check out our new look at www.firstlegoleague.org! We want to hear what you think. Tweet us @firstlegoleague.