LEGO League teams can be school, scout troop, church, club or home based. General criteria:
- Ages 9-14
- Up to 10 members per team
- With different coaches, teams have different meeting times. Some meet during class, others after school, and others on weekends at team members' homes
- The team will need room for a 4'x8' playing field mat. Between practices playing field mats can be stored rolled up, unrolled under beds (which keeps them nice and flat), or taped to plywood and stored upright
- Each team needs at least one robot and the LEGO Minstroms software
- Teams can build playing field tables from plywood and 2x4s, so their practice fields are more like the competition fields
- Teams must register with the national organization by the end of September
Costs & Expenses
| Cost | Item |
|
$420 |
LEGO Robot Set: The same robot can be used year after year, so this is a one time purchase. This dollar amount is for robots purchased through LEGO League. Robots purchased through LEGO education and retail stores have the same motors and "brains," but the selection of plastic LEGO pieces and sensors may differ. |
|
$225 |
Team Registration: This is annual fee, and returning teams must register each year. |
|
$65 |
Field Setup Kit: The field set up consists of a 4'x8' mat, LEGOs and instructions for building the playing field pieces. |
|
$50 |
Compeition Fees: In Georgia there are three levels of competition: qualifiers (like Savannah's), super-regionals and state. Teams pay $50 for each competition in which they compete. |
|
Total |
$760 for new teams, who are buying their first robot. |
Timeline & Process
Below is an overview of the registration and participation process.
- Teams register with FIRST LEGO League by the deadline at the end of September
- Organizers at the state level contact coaches and have teams sign up for regional competitions (like Savannah's) through an online form.
- State level webpage http://www.ceismc.gatech.edu/FLL
- Team lists are sent to regional competition organizers, who contact coaches with details on the local events.
- Teams compete in their regional competitions. For the competition, teams bring robots, laptops, and materials for their presentations. Teams also bring "swap" items, which they exchange with students from other teams. Swap items range from pencils with team names on them to goodie bags.
- Top teams from each competition advance to super-regionals (typically 1/3). Students from the Savannah competition advance to Warner Robins.
- Top teams from super-regionals advance to the state competition.
LEGO Robotics Loans for Classrooms
Is your school considering investing in LEGO Robotics? Through LEGO robotics loans for classrooms, schools can borrow full classroom sets for two to three weeks.
Summer Camps
From Creative Technology Summer camps for grades 4-12 to the Savannah Engineering Academy for students entering their junior and senior year, Georgia Tech Savannah offers a variety of summer camp experiences.
