FIRST LEGO League Jr. (FLL Jr.) is a basic introduction to the thought process of problem solving, and provides an insight into problems that today’s scientists face, and are currently working on. In the program, children from the ages of 6 – 9 years old work with a teacher mentor and volunteer mentors from the community to make a presentation of an idea to help today’s scientists, build a model related to their challenge out of Lego parts, and make a poster showing how it was all done, all of which they will present at a regional, and possibly a state competition. This program also helps develop skills that will help them throughout their lives, such as teamwork, critical thinking, and presentation skills.While they are doing so, the students have a chance to ask any questions they have about other FIRST programs (FLL, FTC, and FRC) to FIRST volunteers.
What do we do?
The team gets their challenge in early August and has about 6-8 weeks to prepare their work, which the children do with aid from mentors, before the beginning of their event season. At the event the team will show the judges their presentation and their models representing their solution. If the team wins the regional competition, they will then be invited to a state competition, after which, if they win, they may receive an invitation to the World Festival Expo, where FLL Jr. teams world wide can come and share what they have accomplished and learned.
FRC Volunteers
One very big feature of the FLL Jr. program is the opportunity to work with high school students who are in the FRC (FIRST Robotics competition) program. These students commonly go through all of the FIRST programs, including FLL Jr., and can answer most, if not all, of the questions posed by the children participating in FLL Jr. about the FIRST programs. The FIRST programs these high school students have been through have helped develop amazing character traits, that create near perfect role models that help set the FLL Jr. participants on a life track of success, and prosperity.
Why did we create a FLL Jr. team?
1741 strongly believes in the concept of vertical articulation. By starting students off early within the FIRST program, not only are we supported FIRST and 1741 for years to come, we can take pride in knowing that we are creating future pioneers.
Meet Maple Grove Elementary School
