Building a Global Plan
Embark on an exploration of the earth's climate in the FIRST LEGO Leagues's 2008 Climate Connections Challenge! Discover the links between science, people, resources and communities. Unearth how we learn about past climates and delve into questions surrounding our current and future climatic conditions. Join FIRST LEGO League teams in creating a global game plan as they make these Climate Connections!
What is First Lego League?
FIRST was the brainchild of Dean Kamen, President of DEKA Research & Development Corporation and founded in 1989. Soon an alliance between FIRST and the LEGO® Company developed and the FIRST LEGO® League was born.
FLL team members aged 9-16 solve real-world engineering challenges. The projects combine a research presentation and interactive robotics program with a fun atmosphere using LEGO® MINDSTORMS technologies. Teams consist of up to 10 members and focus on such things as team building, problem solving, creativity, and analytical thinking.
FLL is an international organization consisting of 8,847 teams of 88,000 students, ages 9 to 16 from 37 countries.
In the robot game teams design, build, program, and test autonomous robots that must perform a required series of tasks. In addition, teams conduct research and create a technological or engineering solution to an aspect of the challenge and present that solution to a team of dedicated volunteer judges.
FLL prides itself on these world-wide core values:
- We are a team.
- We do the work to find the solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors.
- We honor the spirit of friendly competition.
- What we discover is more important than what we win.
- We share our experiences with others.
- We display gracious professionalism in everything we do.
- We have fun.
How does it work?
FLL teams are registered across Canada and they come together to participate in their own regional and/or provincial competition and if successful are invited to participate in the FIRST LEGO League World Festival at the FIRST Championship in Atlanta, GA which takes place every April.
What if the team doesn't master all missions?
Sometimes when teams first begin they find it difficult to accomplish all missions within the tight timelines. There is concern that they will not be able to compete. NOT SO! All teams are welcome to come to the competition and show off their skills and creativity with other like-minded teams. So come join the fun!!
FIRST LEGO® League Growth
| Year | Program | Students | Teams | Participants' Locations | Championship Tournaments |
| 1998 | FLL Pilot | 2,000 | 200 | 9 US states and Denmark | 3 Pilots |
| 1999 | FIRST Contact | 10,000 | 1,000 | 35 US states, Singapore, Denmark, China | 9 |
| 2000 | Volcanic Panic | 15,000 | 1,500 | 42 US states, Singapore, UK, Norway | 16 |
| 2001 | Arctic Impact | 17,000 | 1,700 | 45 US states, Europe, Asia | 19 |
| 2002 | City Sights | 30,000 | 3,000 | 44 US states, Denmark, France, Germany, UK | 30 |
| 2003 | Mission Mars | 40,000 | 4,000 | Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Holland, South Korea, Scandinavia, Singapore, UK, and the US | 46 North America 12 International |
| 2004 | No Limits | 45,000 | 4,500 | Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Scandinavia, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, and the US | 52 North American 12 International |
| 2005 | Ocean Odyssey | 57,000 | 7,000 | Austria, Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, South Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the UK, and the US | 74 World-wide |
| FIRST | + | LEGO | = | FLL |
| The Program | The Product | The Challenge |
