What is Growing Up in a FIRST World?
Team 384 Sparky, a FIRST Robotics team from Richmond, Virginia, is inspiring children under the age of 9 in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
In April 2011 our team hosted a Junior FIRST LEGO League (Jr.FLL) Expo at the Science Museum of Virginia with fourteen Jr.FLL teams (ages 6-9). Teams showcased their LEGO models and Show-Me posters and shared what they learned about Biomedical Engineering during the 2010/2011 Body Forward season.
Our team was so impressed with the excitement the young students had, that we decided to get more involved spreading the importance of STEM among children under age nine.
View Growing Up in a FIRST World in a larger map
Red pins indicate FLL partners/teams that we are corresponding with.
Blue pins indicate FLL partners/teams that we hope to get a response from soon.
Since the Expo, we have attended community events and set up hands-on engineering activities to engage children in STEM activities. Activities include:
- Building towers from DUPLO and LEGO bricks
- Building bridges from straws and paperclips
- Building structures from marshmallows and toothpicks
- Launching marshmallows with marshmallow catapults
- Teaching young children how to drive robots
- Demonstrating the FRC robot
- Encouraging families to start Jr.FLL teams
Jr.FLL is currently in five countries and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) in 60 countries. We set a goal to "spark" a lifelong interest in Science and Technology among Jr.FLL age children of the world. We accomplished this by contacting FLL partners and teams in 60 countries and all 50 states to share our experience and passion in developing Jr.FLL. We provided resources and support to help them spread the excitement of Science and Technology among young students in their own communities.
Locally we are planning two Jr.FLL Expos in Richmond this spring. We are excited about the number of Jr.FLL teams in Virginia, the United States and around the world continuing to grow.
Growing Up in a FIRST World will truly inspire young children of the world in Science and Technology. These children will become part of the FIRST family and truly can "Grow Up in a FIRST World."
Junior FIRST LEGO League (Jr. FLL)
- About Jr.FLL
- Show-Me Poster
- Model
- The Challenge
- Click Here to Learn More
- Fun Ideas for hosting a Jr.FLL Expo - Click here!
Fun Hands-On Activities to Spark Young Minds!
- Fun Hands-on Ideas
- Step-By-Step Videos
- Step-By-Step Instructions
- Click here to learn more!