Read below for more details about our FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Program and how you can get involved.
Who is this for? Our FIRST LEGO League program is for students in 4th-6th grade. Any students from the region are welcome to participate, regardless of past experience.
What will my student learn? FIRST LEGO League is built around 4 main elements according to which teams are scored at competitions:
Robot Game: Students build and program robots using LEGO Spike Prime bricks and a visual block-based coding language with the goal of accomplishing as many tasks as possible in a 2:30 round.
Robot Design: Students present the process they used to strategize, design, and iterate on their robot to a panel of judges.
Innovation Project: Students research a topic related to each year's theme and present an innovative solution to a panel of judges.
Core Values: Students exhibit the FLL Core Values (Teamwork, Inclusion, Impact, Innovation, Discovery, and Fun) throughout their season and competition.
When does the team meet? The meeting schedule for the upcoming school year is still TBD, but it will roughly be as follows:
June/July: No meetings
August: Likely 2-3 "boot camp" style meetings for new students.
September-January: One meeting, roughly 90 minutes, per week. The exact day and time will be chosen based on volunteer, student, and space availability.
The team typically travels to one competition per year, typically within a 1 hour drive of State College in late January or early February.
How much does it cost to participate? We aim to keep the program as affordable as possible while still meeting our financial obligations like rent, supplies, registration fees. FLL students will be asked to contribute:
$30/year in dues to 4-H
$70/year in dues to CentreSTEM, the organization that hosts our meeting space
Additional voluntary donations to CentreSTEM to support our ongoing mission are encouraged. Visit centrestem.org/donate for more information on this.
How can parents support the program? We love involved parents! Parents can help out in a variety of ways:
Technical mentors
Non-technical support mentors
Fundraising
Help out the day of the competition
How can I sign up for the club? If this all sounds good to you, click the button below to officially sign up. Space is limited, so please sign up as soon as possible. Doing so does not commit you to staying with the club the whole season -- there will be an opportunity to evaluate your participation in the early fall and decide if it's a good fit.
I have a 6th grade student -- which program should they join? 6th grade students can participate in either FLL or FTC, our middle school program. We generally like students to complete at least 2 years of FLL or be in at least 7th grade before joining FTC. Exceptions can be made for 6th grade students with significant STEM experience. Contact Bill Jester at billjester3@gmail.com if you want to talk through your decision before signing up.
What if I have questions? Contact Bill Jester at billjester3@gmail.com.