Robots readied for competition on road to FIRST LEGO League State Championship Tournament
The 2012 Arizona FIRST LEGO League competition season continues Saturday, December 1, as the next wave of Arizona middle school teams participate in day-long regional qualifying tournaments. More than 200 teams will compete in venues in Chandler, Flagstaff, Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sierra Vista, Tucson and Yuma.
They are among the record number of 300 teams vying to earn their way to the Arizona FIRST LEGO League State Championship Tournament on December 8 at Arizona State University. ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering manages the state’s FIRST LEGO League program and hosts the championship tournament. For more information visit www.azfll.com/
For the competitions, youngsters ages 9 to 14 have designed, built and programmed robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS kits to help demonstrate how engineering plays a role in solving today’s technological and social challenges. This year’s program theme is the Senior Solutions Challenge, testing students’ creativity in addressing life issues faced by today’s senior citizens.
Since August, student teams have been researching those issues – ranging from seniors’ challenges to staying physically fit and healthy to communicating with family members and physicians. At the tournaments the students will present their technology-based solutions. Learn more about the Senior Solutions Challenge at www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/fll
HIGHLIGHTS
- Custom-built robots spring to life in fast-paced tests of students’ engineering skills
- Festively outfitted teams rooted on by hundreds of friends and family members
- Displays of Senior Solutions research projects
TOURNAMENT LOCATIONS
| Hamilton High School | Chandler Regional Tournament | 3700 South Arizona Avenue | Chandler |
| Coconino High School | Flagstaff Regional Tournament | 2801 North Izabel Street | Flagstaff |
| Red Mountain High School | Mesa Northeast Red Mountain | 7301 East Brown Road | Mesa |
| ASU Preparatory Academy | Phoenix Central ASU Prep Tournament | 735 East Fillmore Street | Phoenix – Central |
| Carl Hayden Community H.S. | Phoenix West Carl Hayden | 3333 West Roosevelt Street | Phoenix – West |
| Supai Middle School | Scottsdale Supai Tournament | 6720 East Continental Drive | Scottsdale |
| Buena High School | Sierra Vista Regional Tournament | 5225 East Buena School Boulevard | Sierra Vista |
| Sunnyside High School | Tucson Regional Tournament | 1725 East Bilby Road | Tucson |
| Centennial Middle School | Yuma Regional Tournament | 2650 West 20th | Yuma |
ABOUT FIRST
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and more than $12 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC ) and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC ) for high-school students, FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL® ) for 9- to 14-year-olds, (9- to 16-year-olds outside the U.S. and Canada) and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL™) for 6- to 9-year-olds. Gracious Professionalism™ is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org
ABOUT THE LEGO GROUP
The LEGO Group is a privately-held firm based in Billund, Denmark. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities through high-quality, creatively educational play materials, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: “Only the best is good enough.” For more information, visit www.LEGO.com.
