Program Name: FIRST LEGO League Challenge
Team Names: Super Joes
Ages: 4th-5th Grade
Season: Sep - Dec
Days per Week: 2 Days
Duration: 1h 40m
Cost: $75
Team Size: 6-7 members (up to 8)
Parent Involvement Requirement:
Snack Donation (~50 servings, individually wrapped)
Coaching if possible, or support in some capacity (Not required, but essential for the program and your child's success)
Dish to pass at qualifying events
Key Aspects:
Core Values
Innovation Project
Robot Missions
Program Capacity: Dependent on parent support and volunteers available
Event(s):
Family Night (Monday night before event)
Local FLL Explore Expo - Lancer-Bot-Mania
State Championship Must Quality
Practices: There are two practices a week. Students should strive to attend both practices fully, or close to. Practices are from 4:15 to 6:30pm. Teams are made based on student and Coach availability.
Events: Students should plan to attend all events, or inform their Coach ASAP if they cannot attend an event. Event weekends are usually available late September or early October.
About Travel: Families are expected to cover travel costs for them and their child if needed. The team may qualify for the State Championship, which happens in Mason, MI.
FLL Challenge is an international robotics competition. Each year, teams are tasked with designing, building, and programming an autonomous LEGO robot to solve missions on a themed field, while also identifying and solving a real-world problem through an Innovation Project.
Hands-on STEM Learning: Gain practical experience in mechanical design, block-based coding, and scientific research.
Problem-Solving: The annual "Challenge" presents unique obstacles that require creative engineering and critical thinking.
Teamwork: Learn to collaborate, communicate, and support teammates through shared goals.
Innovation: Develop a unique solution to a real-world problem and present it to professionals.
Gracious Professionalism: A core FIRST value—competing with respect and kindness, even in high-pressure situations.
Competition: Teams are evaluated in four equal areas: Robot Performance, Robot Design, Innovation Project, and Core Values.
The FIRST program is built around core values that define the spirit of the competition. Students, Coaches, Mentors, and Parents represent St. Joe Robotics and are expected to demonstrate these at all times:
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.
Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.
Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.
Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do!
Gracious Professionalism: Competing intensely while treating others with respect.
Coopertition: Competing fiercely on the field while helping other teams succeed off the field.
In FLL Challenge, students are expected to participate across all areas of the team. While students may have favorites, everyone should contribute to the following:
Robot Design & Build: Designing the physical LEGO robot and specialized attachments to solve missions.
Programming: Writing code (usually SPIKE/Word Blocks or Python) to make the robot move autonomously.
Innovation Project Research: Identifying a real-world problem related to the season's theme, researching it, and developing a creative solution.
Strategy: Analyzing the field to determine which missions provide the most points for the least risk.
Presentation & Communication: Preparing the scripts and posters used to explain the project and robot design to judges.
Why participate in everything?
Judges interview the whole team; every student must be able to speak about the robot, the code, and the project.
It builds a well-rounded foundation before specializing in FTC (Middle School) or FRC (High School).
Kickoff (August): The new theme and field missions are revealed.
Research & Prototyping: Teams begin researching their Innovation Project and building a "base" robot.
Develop & Iterate: Using the Engineering Design Process: build, test, identify problems, and refine.
Program & Mission Prep: Coding autonomous runs and building attachments for specific missions.
Presentation Prep: Writing scripts and creating a poster for the Innovation Project and Robot Design.
Qualifying Event (November–December): Competing to earn a spot at the State Championship.
State Championship (December/January): Must qualify to attend.
The Robot: An autonomous LEGO robot built to solve as many missions as possible in 2.5 minutes.
Innovation Project: A creative solution to a real-world problem, backed by research and shared with the community.
Robot Design Explanation: The ability to explain the mechanical choices and programming logic to judges.
Core Values Evidence: Demonstrating how the team worked together throughout the season.
The Pits: Your team's home base for the day.
Robot Rounds: You get three 2.5-minute matches on the official field. Only your highest score counts.
Judging Session: A consolidated session where the team presents their Innovation Project, explains their Robot Design, and discusses how they used Core Values. 1-2 Coaches only allowed in the interview room.
Respect to All: Negative behavior from any team member or parent can disqualify a team from awards.
Read the Rules: The "Robot Game Rulebook" is the most important document for scoring.
Start Simple: A robot that does two missions perfectly is better than a robot that fails ten missions.
Iterate: Don't be afraid to take a robot apart and try a better idea.
Practice the Presentation: Being able to speak clearly and confidently to judges is just as important as the robot score.
Respect for All: Treat everyone with kindness, including adult mentors and event volunteers.
Active Participation: Arrive on time and stay focused.
Safety: Follow all guidelines.
AI Policy: We do not use AI for project research or coding. This is a learning program for your brain.
Originality: If you are inspired by a build or code from another team (like a "YouTube" build), you must credit them in your presentation.
Even with LEGO, safety matters:
Keep workspaces clean to avoid tripping or losing parts.
Follow instructions when using batteries and electronics.
Always listen to coaches and mentors regarding rules.