An estimated 1,000 middle school students representing 37 teams from around Colorado will converge on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus on Saturday, Nov. 17, for the eighth annual FIRST LEGO League competition.
The competition at Balch Fieldhouse next to Folsom Stadium will be from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The FIRST LEGO League competitions for middle school students began in 1999.
Competing in this year聮s event will be teams from around Colorado, representing Front Range cities such as Denver, Longmont and Boulder.
This year, student teams will work on projects that affect their personal energy choices, the environment, the economy and everyday life, including heating buildings, fueling cars, charging cell phones and powering iPods. Students will be required to explain what resources should be used and why, and how energy creation and consumption choices affect the planet and quality of life now and in the future.
Winners will proceed to the Colorado Championship event, which will take place on Dec. 15 on the CU-Denver campus. CU-Boulder student volunteers working on the event include engineering majors Damian Manda and Kaylee Bush.
The FIRST LEGO League is a global robotics program aimed at generating enthusiasm for science, math and technology among school children ages 9 to 14, and up to age 16 outside the United States and Canada. Each year, league teams embark on an adventurous 聯challenge聰 based on current, real-world issues. Guided by a team coach and assisted by mentors, competitors will:
* Research and solve a real-world problem based on the challenge theme
* Present their research and solutions
* Build an autonomous robot by using engineering concepts
Dean Kamen, an entrepreneur and inventor of the Segway Human Transorter, established the FIRST organization in 1989. Kamen's goal was to create an environment that encourages children to compete and succeed in an activity that is not focused on sports or entertainment celebrity, but on excellence in technology and innovation.
Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST is a nonprofit public charity that 聯designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math聰 and strives to build self-confidence and life skills, according to the FIRST Web site.
For information on FIRST, visit the Web site at .