Starting a FIRST LEGO League Challenge Team in Oregon

Starting a FIRST LEGO League Challenge team will help children your world receive the benefits of a research-proven program including developing both technical and "soft" skills like project management and communication. This page is being developed to help you understand what you need to do get started.

FIRST LEGO League Challenge program

• Targets 4th through 8th graders

• Each season there is a new robot challenge and a new innovation project challenge

The Robot Challenge

• Involves a set of missions on a 4-foot by 8-foot mat that sits on a table with walls.
• One of the team's coaches orders the challenge set when the team is registered with FIRST.
• The team will set up the playing field with the help of adults by building the mission models from bags of LEGO parts that come with the challenge mat.
• The team members design, build and program a robot that can achieve some of the missions.
• The robots are built from LEGO robotics kits.
  • Current recommended kit is the SPIKE Prime Set and the associated Expansion set
  • The LEGO Robot Inventor set is also allowed although it has somewhat different parts
  • Teams can add additional parts as long as they LEGO products
  • Older LEGO robotics kits are also allowed although are no longer sold by LEGO
    • Mindstorms EV3 Set
    • Mindstorms NXT Set
    • Mindstorms RCX Set
• In addition to a LEGO robot set, the team will need access to a computer.
• They will load free programming software on the computer and use it to program their robot.

The Innovation Project Challenge

• Is a real-world topic.
• The team will
  • research the topic and what problems exist
  • choose a particular problem with in the topic area
  • do research on what solutions are already available for the problem
  • propose an improved or new solution to the problem
  • develop a presentation about their solution
• The Innovation Project can include creating a "prototype" which may involve LEGO parts but this is not required.
• The team receives details of the annual Innovation Project challenge after they register.

What is a FIRST LEGO League Challenge Team?

• 3 to 10 children per team
• Grades 4 to 8, approximately ages 9 to 15.

Who leads the team?

• There must be at least two adults who serve as coaches
• These coaches register with FIRST and complete a background search.
• One of the coaches may take a non-technical role, registering the team, organizing the kids and communicating with parents.
• The one coach may serve as the "technical mentor", teaching the kids about robotics at least until they are ready to explore and learn on their own.
• Other divisions of responsibilities are fine.
• Other adults can play a supporting role
• Teachers can be coaches or simply provide space and let parents do the coaches.
• Key principle: The kids do the work!

Sources of teams

• Schools
• Community groups
• Neighborhoods

FIRST Core Values

• Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas.
• Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.
• Impact: We apply what we learn to improve our world.
• Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.
• Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.
• Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do!

The FIRST LEGO League Team Experience

• Miniature engineering project team stressing
  • Creativity and teamwork
  • Engineering principles: requirements, alternatives, rapid prototyping, testings, improving, ...
• Hands-on problem solving
• Context is a real-world situation
• Team members cycle through multiple roles: designers, builders, programmers, researchers, communicators, ....
• Again: The kids do the work!

Typical Season

• Teams form in summer or early fall.
• Most of the work is done September through November.
• Can be two or three afternoon meetings a week or perhaps a longer meeting on the weekend.
• Teams try work on both their robot and their innovation project each week.
• Teams attend a Qualifying Tournament during one of the first two weekends in December.
• Teams that do particular well at a qualifying tournament are invited to a state championship in January.

Team Costs

• Start-up Costs
  • FIRST LEGO League SPIKE Prime set with Expansion Set: $450
  • Materials for table: $50 to $100
• Yearly costs
  • FIRST LEGO League Team Registration Fee: $250
  • Season Challenge Set: $95
  • Team shirts or hats: $40 to $100
  • Oregon qualifying tournament fee: About $200 but discounts available
  • Championship Tournament usually involves an additional fee

FIRST FLL Challenge Registration Fee

• Official FIRST LEGO League Challenge team number
• Printed copies of the Team Meeting Guide, Robot Game Rulebook and Engineering Notebooks
• Ability to register and compete in FIRST LEGO League Challenge events.
• Access to the FIRST storefront to purchase the Challenge Set and discounted LEGO Robot sets.
• Access to team roster to register team members including mentors and participants.

Possible Sources of Funding

• Team member dues
  • Having some portion of costs picked up by team members' families gives a sense of commitment, but can be a barrier to participation.
  • Provide an easy, private way for students in need to request a discount or waiver.
  • Make sure your approach is consistent with policies of any affiliates like a school.
• Fundraising activities
  • Car washes, bottle & can drives, etc. can be good ways to raise some money
  • Help students make sure it is well organized
  • Make sure your team is following applicable laws regarding raffles, etc.
• Team sponsors
  • Good way to teach fundraising skills and build student confidence in speaking to others.
  • Provide sponsor recognition on T-shirts, web, etc.
  • Students can follow up with
    • thank-you notes
    • demonstrations of their robot
    • presentation of their innovation project
• ORTOP Team Financial Support
  • Application process typically open in June.
  • Rolling awards are made during the summer.
  • Final deadline usually in mid September.
  • Includes funding from ORTOP sponsors.
  • Read the application process for additional requirements.

Registering a Team

• National registration
• During or after registering a team with FIRST you can access the storefront to order a robot set and a season challenge set
• Oregon registration