The program asks teams to work together to complete STEM-focused challenges.
Lego Education and First have announced the theme for this year’s First Lego League program. This year, students from ages 4-16 will complete challenges related to “health, sports, and fitness” (last year’s theme was architecture).
For the previous season, kids could join one of two leagues: First Lego League Jr. and First Lego League. However, for the 2020-2021 season, these groups have been switched up. There are now three leagues available: Discover (ages 4-6), Explore (ages 6-10), and Challenge (ages 9-16).
The content for all three groups will focus on STEM learning with the goal of helping kids practice things like their problem solving and design skills. However, each group will utilize different types of Lego products. For instance, kids in the Discover league will use Lego Duplo bricks, while teams in the Challenge league will be able to construct and program a Lego Education Spike Prime or Lego Mindstorms robot.
The First Lego League website offers additional more information about the program:
“FIRST® LEGO® League guides youth through STEM learning and exploration at an early age. From Discover, to Explore, and then to Challenge, students will understand the basics of STEM and apply their skills in an exciting competition while building habits of learning, confidence, and teamwork skills along the way.”
The website also reads:
“Each FIRST LEGO League season culminates with a celebration where teams show off what they learned and invented, and in our oldest division, compete with their robots. Some teams earn an invitation to FIRST LEGO League World Festival as part of FIRST Championship Houston or FIRST Championship Detroit, where teams from all over the world meet and compete.”
The 2020-2021 season will kick off on August 4, 2020, and registration is open now on First’s website. To learn more information about First Lego League, head to the program’s website.
Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.
