FIRST LEGO League

FIRST® LEGO® League 2022-23 Championship Recap

Melissa Carter2023-03-20T15:16:24-05:00

All season, youth involved in FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) have worked together to create, code, and compete to advance to the final FLL Championship, which took place earlier this month at Augustana University’s campus in Sioux Falls, SD. Teams traveled across South Dakota, North Sioux City to Rapid City, and many cities and small towns in between, to compete and showcase their complex robots. Teams were judged based on their innovation project, presentation skills, robot design, and core values. Our 2022-23 Season Challenge was a SUPERPOWERED℠ theme and had teams creating an innovation project that included a real-world solution utilizing renewable energy. [...]

FIRST® LEGO® League 2022-23 Championship RecapMelissa Carter2023-03-20T15:16:24-05:00

Volunteer Highlight: Sam Ryckman

Melissa Carter2021-03-09T09:33:05-06:00

FIRST LEGO League Alum and Volunteer: Sam Ryckman My interest in engineering and science started the same way it likely did for many: playing with Lego. From age eleven to eighteen, I participated in FIRST Lego League (FLL) and later FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). These programs sparked my interest in science and engineering through exciting challenges and fun competitions. I learned how to design, program, and build robots. But more importantly, I learned the importance of teamwork, communication, and hard work. I am now attending college at South Dakota Mines pursuing degrees in mechanical engineering and computer science. After graduating, [...]

Volunteer Highlight: Sam RyckmanMelissa Carter2021-03-09T09:33:05-06:00

Donor Spotlight: Dr. Drew Alton

Melissa Carter2021-09-01T09:44:38-05:00

The world is watching as NASA’s Perseverance Rover makes its way to Jerezro Crater on planet Mars to hunt for prehistoric fossils in the next six months. For local professor and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) volunteer Dr. Drew Alton, the mission fuels his passion to bring science, technology, engineering and math to kids across South Dakota as a volunteer and as a program collaborator. “I want them to say, ‘I could be part of that mission,’” Dr. Alton said. “It’s exactly what FLL is all about.” Dr. Alton, a professor of physics at Augustana University, has been volunteering for the [...]

Donor Spotlight: Dr. Drew AltonMelissa Carter2021-09-01T09:44:38-05:00

2019 – 2020 FIRST LEGO League Championship Standings

Melissa Carter2020-02-06T12:33:36-06:00

February 1, 2020 (Sioux Falls, SD) - Thirty-one teams descended on the Augustana University Elmen center to pit their robots and presentation skills against one another in a fury of fun, craziness, and Coopertition®. It was the 2019 - 2020 CITY SHAPER® FIRST® LEGO® League Championship for South Dakota, and the competition was fantastic! Each of these teams competed at a Qualifier earlier in the season. They scored well enough in the Core Values, Innovation Project, and Robot Design judging and the Robot Game to earn a place in the Championship. FIRST LEGO League aims to build student interest in STEM [...]

2019 – 2020 FIRST LEGO League Championship StandingsMelissa Carter2020-02-06T12:33:36-06:00

The History of FIRST LEGO League in South Dakota

Melissa Carter2020-01-16T11:31:14-06:00

In 2008, Dr. Alan Swanson brought FIRST LEGO League to South Dakota, gathering a group of interested educators and science lovers to be coaches for what he thought would be 4 – 5 teams. A graduate of MIT, Dr. Swanson worked for many years at BAE Systems in New Hampshire – the birthplace of FIRST and FIRST LEGO League. He recognized the need for a program in South Dakota that emphasizes the STEM disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math). After the group saw a competition in Minneapolis, MN, and the excitement and fervor of the teams. FIRST LEGO League took [...]

The History of FIRST LEGO League in South DakotaMelissa Carter2020-01-16T11:31:14-06:00

FIRST LEGO League Teams Compete in the Rapid City Qualifiers

Melissa Carter2019-12-12T10:54:25-06:00

Rapid City, SD (December 9, 2019) – Last Saturday, 20 teams met at East Middle School in Rapid City to share their research to compete with their robots and have fun! This was the second Qualifier for the 2019-2020 CITY SHAPER challenge. This tournament was hosted by South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, The Rapid City Public Schools and EmBe. Taking home awards Champions- Team #41881 Ranger Robotics Robot Design and Robot Game Performance- Team # 21902 Everything Is Awesome Core Values – Team #29225 Tiger Tech Project – Team #48831 LEGO Jedi Judges’ Choice – Team #28724 Central SD [...]

FIRST LEGO League Teams Compete in the Rapid City QualifiersMelissa Carter2019-12-12T10:54:25-06:00

FIRST LEGO League Teams Compete in the Qualifier

Melissa Carter2019-12-11T15:27:18-06:00

Sioux Falls, SD (November 25, 2019) - Last Saturday, November 23 EmBe and POET hosted the first FIRST® LEGO® League Qualifier of the 2019-2020 Season. This season's challenge is CITY SHAPER, focusing on the challenges humans face as we build and maintain cities in the future. Eighteen teams met to share their research, compete with their robots and of course have fun! Congratulations to every team that competed, we are proud of all the things that you accomplished this season! Taking home awards: Judges' Award - Team #9505 Thumbs Up for Fun Project Award - Team #39009 Northstar Navigators Robot [...]

FIRST LEGO League Teams Compete in the QualifierMelissa Carter2019-12-11T15:27:18-06:00

FIRST LEGO League Teams Compete Internationally

Allison Sinning2019-06-04T09:31:07-05:00

The Fantastic Five at the World Festival The Fantastic Five traveled to the FIRST® Championship and World Festival in Detroit. Arriving on April 24th, the teams witnessed the latest science and technology on display. "The Innovation Fair was cool. We got to hold a de-cellularized human heart, learn about deep brain stimulation, and have a conversation with a robot that could read team t-shirts." One of their favorite parts of the weekend was interacting with other teams. "The team from Denmark was so friendly and nice. They showed and explained all of their code to us and invited us to [...]

FIRST LEGO League Teams Compete InternationallyAllison Sinning2019-06-04T09:31:07-05:00

EmBe adds FIRST® LEGO® League Junior!

Allison Sinning2019-05-06T08:35:20-05:00

Do you have an imaginative LEGO-fanatic? Is there an elementary school student at your house who needs to practice teamwork skills? Know any kids who aren't interested in sports? Do you have a kid who just needs a place to belong? EmBe is bringing FIRST® LEGO® League Junior to South Dakota! Designed to bring science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) principals to participants aged 6-10, FIRST LEGO League Junior (FLL-Jr) is a fun, non-competitive, team-based activity. Working as a part of a team, participants will build motorized LEGO models. They will also research a science or engineering theme, and make [...]

EmBe adds FIRST® LEGO® League Junior!Allison Sinning2019-05-06T08:35:20-05:00

FIRST® LEGO® League building Fun in 2019-2020 season

Allison Sinning2019-05-06T08:34:24-05:00

The FIRST® LEGO® League and FIRST® LEGO® League Junior Themes have been released. Registration is now open! Register Here At the FIRST World Festival in Houston, TX, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and LEGO Education released the themes for the 2019-2020 FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Lego League Junior seasons. The new theme for FLL is called City Shaper. Logo for FLL Season City Shaper Images released show that the theme is focused on Urban Planning and Architecture. For the first time ever, a LEGO designer specializing in their architectural building line was [...]

FIRST® LEGO® League building Fun in 2019-2020 seasonAllison Sinning2019-05-06T08:34:24-05:00