[Ohiogift] STEM with legos

[Margaret DeLacy]

FLL is part of a tripartite, well-thought-out (mostly) and structured competition that extends through High School.  My husband now coaches 3 intermediate teams (FTC) at a local technical high school, I've helped occasionally.  

FLL involves forming teams that select and research an issue of concern to the community, document the research, and report on it.  It requires teamwork and good sportsmanship.  The students learn a lot of communication and social skills in the course of designing and building something together, programming it and competing. 

FRC and FTC involve increasingly large and complex robots that have to be designed, built and programmed to compete in a different task each year.  The students do all the designing, building and programming themselves.  All the levels include and emphasize teamwork, documentation and reporting skills and require an increasingly sophisticated range of technical skills.  The girls on my husband's co-ed teams have surprised themselves by becoming very excited by technological challenges AND by developing leadership skills.  Several of his team members have changed their minds about going to college and some have won scholarships.  The teams mentor other teams and assemble documentation for all their activities.  They also have to make oral presentations and answer questions before judges as part of the competition.  

The competition gives opportunities for students who are not on school sports teams to learn teamwork, earn recognition, represent their schools and have a good time.  My husband has had a number of special needs students on his teams.  

Teams are penalized for any breach of good sportsmanship including using bad or derogatory language during competitions.

FLL is obviously not a substitute for all schoolwork.  It isn't intended to be.  But it is a high-quality and rewarding program for those who participate.  The skills learned in the competition, such as managing large and complex projects and communicating the results to outsiders could transfer to any line of work including historical research. 

It is in fact spreading throughout the world.  

Margaret