Fairmont State to host FIRST LEGO League State Championship
Fairmont State University will welcome 46 LEGO robotics teams to campus for the FIRST
LEGO League (FLL) State Championship on Saturday, December 2. The teams are made up
of participants ages 9-14 who come from across the state to showcase their research
and robotics design skills. Approximately 400 participants are expected at the competition.
“We are excited to welcome the students, coaches, parents, and spectators to Fairmont State to celebrate science, technology, engineering, and math! The overarching purpose of this program is to inspire students to pursue careers in the STEM fields, but more importantly, to celebrate a love for learning through fun experiences,” said Dr. Todd Ensign, FLL Tournament Director.
The FLL is the longest-running robotics competition in the state of West Virginia. The championship has proudly been hosted by Fairmont State for over a decade. FLL is managed by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) and has teams participating in over 100 countries worldwide. FIRST has also partnered locally with the West Virginia Space Grant Consortium and A3L Federal Works to sponsor the event. The local NASA IV&V Education Resource Center assists with managing the entire event on Fairmont State’s campus.
“Without the support of our host and sponsors, programs like this would quickly become unaffordable. We thank President Davis, the NASA Space Grant Consortium, and Roya Maher of A3L Federal Works for ensuring STEM programs such as FLL are accessible to West Virginia youth,” said Ensign.
In addition to the 46 competing teams, 25 FLL Explore teams, made up of participants ages 6-9, will present their own research and robotic displays. The public is invited to attend and watch the Robot Table matches from 2:00-4:30 p.m. and the final awards ceremony immediately after.
The tournament champion will advance to the FIRST World Festival in Houston, TX this April and the top two runners-up will be invited to the invitational tournaments to represent West Virginia.
See the full event schedule and learn more about FIRST LEGO League.
