About five years ago, I wondered for my three boys what types of educational, fun programs in Charlotte there were for elementary and middle schoolers interested in science and engineering careers – I know, thinking of their futures already.  Well, my boys are only 2 years apart, so they have turned me into their official activity director.  We did all the Discovery Place camps and athletic programs at the local YMCA, so what next.  I found FIRST Lego League (FLL).  It has been a tremendous experience.  This year’s robot challenge was called SMART MOVE www.NC-FLL.org FLL engages kids in a playful, yet meaningful way, while helping them to develop fundamental science and technology skills. In a nutshell, they design and build their own robots and compete with other teams in their community.

This is my second year as FLL coach, and I have been impressed how many teams have formed in Charlotte over the years. It is hot!  This past weekend, my team competed in the regionals in Greensboro with about 30 other teams.  The missions this year focused on transportation in our community.  In addition to performing robotic runs around transportation obstacles, my team like the others had to study a transportation problem in the community and propose a unique solution to judges.  Additionally, they had challenges testing their teamwork skills and technical interviews were also a component where judges asked the kids detail questions on their robot design.

The ages that compete in the US range from 9-14. It’s an international organization so some countries have participants as old as 16.  And for those interested, this year’s world finals will be in the US (in Atlanta).  I’m proud to report my 4th and 5th grader team placed 6th at the regionals against teams that much older, and we still have a chance to advance to the state finals based on teamwork and technical interview scores.

Have questions on FLL or forming a team in Charlotte, don’t hesitate to visit my website.    And if you don’t mind my amateur video clip, you can even see my team performing their last robotic run before the round ends at this weekend competition.sabrina-brown