[slideshow] Submitted by Linda Baker
FIRST Lego League (FLL) is a fun and educational program geared towards 4th through 8th grade students. Girls get to build robots and learn about technology, while working on teams to research and investigate innovative solutions to meet our world’s needs. Girl Scouts of Colorado offers a perfect environment to foster girl-adult partnerships in order to build and compete in the exciting arena of Colorado FIRST Lego League events.
Girl Scouts is committed to fostering an interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). By learning that STEM is all around them and exploring how it can be fun, Girl Scouts hopes girls will consider careers in these fields. Girl Scouts is a safe, family-friendly place where girls can learn more about the world around them.
Girls will:
Learn how to apply math and science to design, build, program, and test a robot.
Gain hands-on experience solving real life problems using math and science.
Discover how to work as a team player and develop leadership skills € Research challenges facing today’s scientists.
Learn critical thinking, team-building and presentation skills € Explore new career possibilities.
Participate in tournaments and celebrations.
On Aug. 26, the new challenge will be announced for the 2014 competition season. Titled “World Class: Learning Unleashed,” this thematic problem will address how we gather knowledge and skills in the 21st century. Teams will teach adults about the ways that kids need and want to learn.
Adult coaches and mentors will guide and advise the team for approximately 10 to 12 weeks as the girls build an autonomous robot that will complete pre-designed missions on a playing field within 2 minutes and 30 seconds. They will also use external resources to help girls analyze, research and invent a solution for a real world problem. Adult Girl Scout volunteers provide the framework in which girls gain skills that will last a lifetime.
Adult coaches do not need to have any specific expertise in robotics, programming, or other technical areas. Utilizing Volunteer Essentials, progression, and girl-adult partnership, any current or prospective volunteer can help Girl Scouts form an FLL team. Colorado FIRST Lego League provides training, mentoring, Coaches’ Handbook, and other resources to jumpstart a team. There will be a Rookie Booster held at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science on Oct. 4 with workshops and 1:1 mentoring to enable new teams to share ideas and experiences with other rookie teams.
For more information about starting a Girl Scout FLL team in Colorado, visit http://fll.coloradofirst.org, or contact me at javario.the.hero@gmail.com.
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