FLL Update: FLL – World Festival, Flip, Wouldn’t It Be Cool If…, 2014 Challenge, Jr.FLL Video, Florida Open

Posted on May 4, 2012 by tmw2010

–> We had FUN at FLL World Festival!

It was wonderful to meet the teams, hear about their research, see Core Values™ in action and watch robots conquer the missions on the game table. Our program could not exist without your energy! Thanks for making our 2012 event so successful!

–> Flip for World Festival

Flip the FLL Robot volunteered at World Festival this year. Read about his impressions of the event and St. Louis on the FLL blog: http://fllblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/flip-volunteers-at-world-festival/

 –> Wouldn’t It Be Cool If…

Congrats to Team Bronx Task Force, finalist in the invention ideas competition Wouldn’t It Be Cool If… from Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds and i.am FIRST, founded by musician will.i.am. The team’s invention is a coffee filter with multivitamins inside of it. When the coffee is brewed it is infused with the vitamins we need every day. The team was invited to St. Louis during the FIRST(R) Championship to present their idea to a panel of judges, including Dean Kamen andwill.i.am.

 –> 2014 FLL Challenge – what should it be?

What do you think FLL teams around the world should learn about in 2014?  Let us know by submitting your idea here:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2014FLLTheme.  Anyone may submit an idea, so please ask your team members and anyone who works with your team to submit today!

 –> What is Jr.FLL? 

We are pleased to present a brand new video on the Jr.FLL YouTube channel called “What is Jr.FLL?”,http://www.youtube.com/jrfllglobal.  Use this piece to encourage the “youngest scientists” to get involved in FIRST!

–> Going Strong in Florida

The 2012 Florida Invitational Open is being held this weekend, May 3rd - 6th.
Robot Game scores - http://www.blindpirate.net/Page8.html
Awards ceremony LIVE May 6th 9:15 am ET – Watch on http://fllnation.com

*THIS EMAIL IS FROM FIRST LEGO LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR EMAILS FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTNER.*

With High 5’s and Admiration,
FLL Team Support
Stay Connected with FLL!
Twitter (@firstlegoleague)| YouTube (youtube.com/fllglobal)|FLL Blog (fllblog.wordpress.com)

FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (http://firstlegoleague.org) | fllteams@usfirst.org | +1 603-666-3906 x0, +1 800-871-8326 x0 | FIRST(R) (http://usfirst.org) - 200 Bedford Street – Manchester NH USA 03101

Filed under: FIRST events, FIRST in Florida, FIRST in the News, FIRST Resources, FLL, Jr. FLL | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

FLL Update: Let the judging begin!/Experi-mentors/What word describes FIRST?

Posted on March 9, 2012 by tmw2010

Let the judging begin!

The Food Factor® season of the FLL Global Innovation Award closed voting and submissions last Thursday, March 1st, with an impressive272 submissions! High 5’s to the all the teams that entered their fabulous food safety ideas and to everyone who voted for their favorite submissions. Over the coming weeks, a team of expert judges will be going through all of the submissions to choose the finalists. So keep checking the Global Innovation Award website for announcements about the semi-finalists and to read some of the great submissions that you might have missed. For more information about how the winners are determined and when they will be notified, please see the FAQ page.  

Experi-mentors

While you were researching your Food Factor solution, did you have any fun food safety experiments or projects that you’d like to share with other teams? Did an experiment go in a direction you never expected? Share your stories with us, and we may blog about it on the FLL blog . Be as detailed as possible. We’d love to have other teams check out and try the same experiments or project-related activities. Was it fun? Did you get the same results? We want to know! Post your story in the comment section. 

What word describes FIRST?

The 4th Motor FLL Team from East Troy, Wisconsin needs your help! They are looking to create a video of individuals or teams saying what word best represents FIRST. To get an idea of what they’re trying to do and how to submit your “word videos”, check out this short Youtube clip. Send in your clip to The 4th Motor by March 31! 

SENIOR SOLUTIONS

The Food Factor Season is coming to a close, and we give you a round of applause and high 5’s for all your hard work. Now is the time to start thinking about the upcoming Challenge: SENIOR SOLUTIONS℠! Visit http://www.firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2012seniorsolutions to learn more. Be sure to visit USFIRST.org in the coming weeks for more information on kit pricing, registration materials, and more.  Plus it’s never too late to start fundraising.  Don’t forget the light bulbs!

*THIS EMAIL IS FROM FIRST LEGO LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR EMAILS FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTNER.*

With High 5’s and Admiration,
FLL Team Support
Stay Connected with FLL!
Twitter (@firstlegoleague)| YouTube (youtube.com/fllglobal)|FLL Blog (fllblog.wordpress.com)

FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (http://firstlegoleague.org) | fllteams@usfirst.org | +1 603-666-3906 x0, +1 800-871-8326 x0 | FIRST(R) (http://usfirst.org) - 200 Bedford Street – Manchester NH USA 03101

Filed under: FIRST events, FIRST in the News, FIRST Resources, FLL, STEM news | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

FLL Update: Last Day for Submissions! FLL Update: Last Day for Submissions! Last Day for Submissions! FLL Update:

Posted on March 1, 2012 by tmw2010

Last Day for Submissions!!

We are coming into the final stretch of the FLL Global Innovation Award. Over 250 teams have entered their Food Factor® Project ideas and half a million votes have been cast! The deadline for submissions and voting is today, March 1, 2012 at 5:00pm ET. Be sure to keep checking back at the website to see if your favorite food safety invention made it into the semi-finals at http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org.

So what happens after March 1st? 

Once submissions and voting end, a team of expert judges will look through every single submission to choose ten (10) ideas to advance to the semi-finals based on merit.  Those ten (10) ideas plus the ten (10) teams with the most votes will be reviewed by a final panel of judges to determine the three (3) overall finalists (one (1) winning team and two (2) runners-up). For more information, like the judging criteria, please see the FAQ under  “How the winners will be determined” (http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org/faq-page).

*The FLL Global Innovation Award is optional and in no way affects the judging outcome of official FLL Qualifiers or Championships.*

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FIRST gains STEAM in Tampa Bay!

Posted on January 17, 2012 by tmw2010

Lots of great STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) fun and learning opportunities coming up in the Tampa Bay area, many showcasing FIRST teams!  Thanks to TechPlayZone for sharing their STEAM flyer.  You can learn more about the events below as follows:

Filed under: FIRST events, FIRST in Florida, FIRST in the News, FLL, Jr. FLL, STEM news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

FLL Update: *End of Year Message* & Project FAQ Clarification

Posted on December 24, 2011 by tmw2010

–> To Our Amazing FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League Community

As 2011 comes to a close, FLL(R) Headquarters reflects on another record-breaking season. In 2011 we saw our community celebrate successes and learn from failures. Robots ran, projects were impactful and, above all, Gracious Professionalism(TM) was abundant. There were devastating and heartbreaking personal losses of which so many of our community around the world reached out to help where we could, and also momentous and joyous occasions for which to be thankful.

We want to wish the FLL community, our extended family, much happiness in 2012 and beyond. Thank you for enriching our lives and for being such an impactful presence on others.

All the best,
FIRST LEGO League Headquarters

–> Water Safety?
The Project FAQ has been updated to clarify a question received on water safety. Although “water safety is an important topic, we are not studying water contamination problems for Food Factor.” Read more here:http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/projectfaq

 

*THIS EMAIL IS FROM FIRST LEGO LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR EMAILS FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTNER.*

With High 5’s and Admiration,
FLL Team Support
Stay Connected with FLL!
Twitter (@firstlegoleague)| YouTube (youtube.com/fllglobal)|FLL Blog (fllblog.wordpress.com)

FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (http://firstlegoleague.org) | fllteams@usfirst.org | +1 603-666-3906 x0, +1 800-871-8326 x0 | FIRST(R) (http://usfirst.org) - 200 Bedford Street – Manchester NH USA 03101

 

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FLL Update: World Festiva, Core Values Video & More!

Posted on December 24, 2011 by tmw2010

–>Looking for World Festival Volunteers…

FLL(R) is on the lookout for volunteers for the FLL World Festival, April 25 – 28, 2012, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Register online: http://firstlegoleague.org/worldfestival. Don’t forget, the World Festival is part of the overall FIRST Championship.

 –> January 19th, 2012…

Have you written it down? Excellent, because….(drumroll please) Jan 19th is when we officially launch the FLL Global Innovation Award for the Food Factor(R) season! We hope that all teams entering are beginning to mobilize. More information on what information teams need to submit will be coming in the next few weeks. http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org/

 –>All Eyes on … FLL Core Values!

The FLL Core Values video is now available for public viewing! It’s a visual way to show family and friends what the FLL Core Values are and how your team embodies them all season long, http://bit.ly/t0IibT. And, while you’re on the FLL YouTube page, check out the updated channel format for easier access to playlists and featured videos!

 –>Scott’s Note to Veteran Teams

Check out http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/robotgameupdates to read an important note about Food Factor Robot Game scores.

 –>FLL Blog Theme Update!

If your team loves FLL AND has a WordPress.org blog you may want to take advantage of the free FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League blog template found here: http://wordpress.org/extend/themes/first-lego-league-official

 –>Listen and Learn

The National Center for Food Protection and Defense has just posted two (2) new podcasts on their Food Factor® webpage, http://www.ncfpd.umn.edu/index.cfm/food-factor/. “Grocery” interviews Dave Wiemer of SUPERVALU about food safety and defense in the grocery business and “Inspector” explores the topic of food inspections.

 –>Fight Bac….teria

Check out http://fightbac.org! Get safety tips on proper cleaning, separation, and cooking.

*THIS EMAIL IS FROM FIRST LEGO LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR EMAILS FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTNER.*

With High 5’s and Admiration,

FLL Team Support

Stay Connected with FLL!

Twitter (@firstlegoleague)| YouTube (youtube.com/fllglobal)|FLL Blog (fllblog.wordpress.com)

FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (http://firstlegoleague.org) | fllteams@usfirst.org | +1 603-666-3906 x0, +1 800-871-8326 x0 | FIRST(R) (http://usfirst.org) – 200 Bedford Street – Manchester NH USA 03101

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FLL – Team Size Reminder, Robot Game Updates & FAQs, Patent Resources

Posted on December 7, 2011 by tmw2010

–>Team Size Reminder – IMPORTANT

FLL strives to keep all aspects of the program fair and equitable. It is extremely important to remember that the maximum FLL team size is ten (10) student members. These ten (10) members are the only individuals that can work on the robot and the Project. These same ten (10) members are also the only individuals that can compete and present the Project at an event.

We know that it is hard to keep the team to ten (10) members when you have more than ten (10) children interested in FLL. Many coaches are faced with that tough decision while registering their team and some end up registering more than one team. FLL caps team size at ten (10) to maximize the experience for the children. Please note that teams who show up to a tournament with more than ten (10) team members will not be eligible for any awards. Information on team size is posted on the FLL website (firstlegoleague.org), contained within the Challenge rules, and noted throughout the Coaches’ Handbook.

–>Robot Game Updates/Project FAQ/Judging FAQ

Before attending tournaments make sure that your team is completely up-to-date on the:

* Robot Game Updates (35 in total): http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/robotgameupdates

* Project FAQ: http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/projectfaq

* Judging FAQ: http://firstlegoleague.org/event/judgingfaq

–>FLL Global Innovation Award – Patent Resources

If you’ve been exploring the FLL Global Innovation Award website (http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org/), you have probably have noticed that we’ve gone live with our “Learn about Patents” page, http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org/learn-about-patents.

We encourage all teams who are interested in submitting their idea to the website in January to review these materials to gain a better understanding of what patents are and how ideas are protected. We’ve even created an FLL-specific guide to help teams through the process called “FLL Guide to Applying for a Patent” (located on page).

 

*THIS EMAIL IS FROM FIRST LEGO LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR EMAILS FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTNER.*

With High 5’s and Admiration,

FLL Team Support

Stay Connected with FLL!

Twitter (@firstlegoleague)| YouTube (youtube.com/fllglobal)|FLL Blog (fllblog.wordpress.com)

FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (http://firstlegoleague.org) | fllteams@usfirst.org | +1 603-666-3906 x0, +1 800-871-8326 x0 | FIRST(R) (http://usfirst.org) – 200 Bedford Street – Manchester NH USA 03101

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FLL Update: 2012 Themes, e-watt savers, Advancement Policy, Resources, Videos

Posted on November 23, 2011 by tmw2010

FLL wishes all teams celebrating Thanksgiving a very happy and safe (food handling and otherwise!) holiday.

 –>Thinking caps on – 2012 Themes Announced

FLL Senior Solutions teaser and logo - http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/2012seniorsolutions

Jr.FLL Super Seniors teaser and logo - http://juniorfirstlegoleague.org/2012-super-seniors-challenge.html

 –>Lights On for FLL!

Second generation e-watt saver bulbs are now available for delivery. Visit http://www.usfirst.org/e-wattresources to learn more, download Sales Kit materials, and to set up an account to order bulbs. If you have ordered bulbs this year, your team will be searchable on http://www.usfirst.org/firstled. The public is able to send your team a note indicating they wish to purchase bulbs.  Your team will appear on the list about a week after you place your first order.

 –> Qualifier Advancement Policy

We have been receiving a fair number of questions regarding the FLL Qualifier Advancement Policy and the Robot Performance Award.  Please take a minute to view the clarifications posted onhttp://firstlegoleague.org/event/judgingfaq.

 –>New Food Factor Resources

Many thanks to FLL global sponsor, 3M! Great video resources on food safety,http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/foodfactorresources

–> Watch and Learn

FLL has some awesome new videos on the YouTube channel, http://youtube.com/fllglobal.

**Shout out from Chef Cathal Armstrong on safe food handling,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGEID125B_I&feature=channel_video_title

**Team generated videos for the Food Factor season,http://www.youtube.com/fllglobal#p/c/F167A476B3482103

Send a message to the FLLGlobal YouTube account to get your team video added to the playlist!

*THIS EMAIL IS FROM FIRST LEGO LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR EMAILS FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTNER.*

With High 5’s and Admiration,
FLL Team Support
Stay Connected with FLL!
Twitter (@firstlegoleague)| YouTube (youtube.com/fllglobal)|FLL Blog (fllblog.wordpress.com)

FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (http://firstlegoleague.org) | fllteams@usfirst.org | +1 603-666-3906 x0, +1 800-871-8326 x0 | FIRST(R) (http://usfirst.org) - 200 Bedford Street – Manchester NH USA 03101

Filed under: FIRST in Florida, FIRST in the News, FLL | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

FLL Update: Resources, Cooking, Global Innovation Award, World Festival, & More!

Posted on November 14, 2011 by tmw2010

In this week’s update:

–> Food Factor® Resources
The National Center for Food Protection and Defense has created a page on their site specifically for FLL® teams, http://www.ncfpd.umn.edu/index.cfm/food-factor/. They will be posting podcasts and blog entries on food safety related topics. Check it out!
Did you know… the NCFPD is also the newest sponsor for the FLL Global Innovation Award (http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org)

 

–> Cooking Question?
Some teams have asked us whether or not teams could do a cooking demonstration for their presentation. Please check directly with your tournament organizer on this. Different facilities have different rules.

–> FLL Global Innovation Award

Still unsure what the FLL Global Innovation Award is and how it connects to FLL? Watch the short video created from footage of the inaugural Body Forward® season,http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org/past-innovators
Remember! Submission entry /voting opens in January so start preparing your Project!

–> Challenge Updates

We hope that all teams are up-to-date on the Robot Game Updates, Project FAQ, and Judging FAQ. You can get a quick refresh here:

Robot Game Updates: http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/robotgameupdates
Project FAQ: http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/projectfaq
Judging FAQ: http://firstlegoleague.org/event/judgingfaq

 –> FLL World Festival

The list of regions invited to send a team to World Festival has been posted on the World Festival page,http://firstlegoleague.org/worldfestival

 –> Tell us what you think…

Take the latest FLL poll on http://firstlegoleague.org. Simply click on the “Have you taken our poll?” icon.

*THIS EMAIL IS FROM FIRST LEGO LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR EMAILS FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTNER.*

With High 5’s and Admiration,
FLL Team Support

Stay Connected with FLL!
Twitter (@firstlegoleague)| YouTube (youtube.com/fllglobal)|FLL Blog (fllblog.wordpress.com)

FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (http://firstlegoleague.org) | fllteams@usfirst.org | +1 603-666-3906 x0, +1 800-871-8326 x0 | FIRST(R) (http://usfirst.org) - 200 Bedford Street – Manchester NH USA 03101

 

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FLL Update – Judging Questions, Project Presentation Props, Why a Project, and More!

Posted on November 6, 2011 by tmw2010

–>Questions about Judging? (GLOBAL)
Don’t forget! FLL has a judging FAQ: http://firstlegoleague.org/event/judgingfaq

 –> Important New Project FAQ (GLOBAL)
The Project FAQ (http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/foodfactorproject)has been updated to include new questions and answers, including:

Q: Is it ok to use a weapon (toy gun, knife, etc.) in our Project presentation if it is involved in the journey of our food or if we are planning a cooking demonstration?

A: Please do not bring weapons (even toy ones) to an FLL event.  If your team feels that this is an important part of your Project presentation, please create something two (2) dimensional on a piece of cardboard or paper so that it could not be mistaken accidentally for the real thing.  Food should probably be prepared before arriving, but if your tournament allows preparing food on site please only use plastic utensils in your presentation.  It is important to FLL that everyone feel safe and welcome at FLL events, so please help us by not bringing anything that looks like a real weapon to a tournament or event.

 –>Why a Project in a Robotics Competition? (GLOBAL)

Have you heard this question from parents/teachers/funders…..Check out the official word from FLL on why having a Project is a great idea! http://firstlegoleague.org/sites/default/files/Challenge/Why_a_Project_in_a_Robotics_Competition.pdf

It’s also posted throughout firstlegoleague.org in case you need to reference it throughout the season.

–>Need a coaching refresh? (GLOBAL)
All of the coach call recordings are posted online here: http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/teamresources

–>Challenge Reminders (GLOBAL)
Robot Game Updates: http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/robotgameupdates
Project FAQ: http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/foodfactorproject

 –>FLL Global Innovation Award (GLOBAL)
Does your team have an incredibly awesome Food Factor Project and want to take it to the next level?! Of course it does!
FLL is proud to announce the second year of the FLL Global Innovation Award. Check out the website, http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org, for information about our new sponsors, updated FAQs, and updates on our past winners.

*THIS EMAIL IS FROM FIRST LEGO LEAGUE HEADQUARTERS. BE SURE TO WATCH FOR EMAILS FROM YOUR LOCAL PARTNER.*

With High 5’s and Admiration,
FLL Team Support
Stay Connected with FLL!
Twitter (@firstlegoleague)| YouTube (youtube.com/fllglobal)|FLL Blog (fllblog.wordpress.com)
FIRST(R) LEGO(R) League (http://firstlegoleague.org) | fllteams@usfirst.org | +1 603-666-3906 x0, +1 800-871-8326 x0 | FIRST(R) (http://usfirst.org) - 200 Bedford Street – Manchester NH USA 03101

 

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