Friendly competition is at the heart of Challenge, as teams of students ages 9-16* engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering - building and programming a LEGO robot that navigates the missions of a robot game.
In Explore, teams of students ages 6-10 focus on the fundamentals of engineering as they explore real-world problems, learn to design, and code and create unique solutions made with LEGO bricks and powered by LEGO® Education SPIKETM Essential or WeDo 2.0.
For children ages 4-6, this playful introductory STEM program ignites their natural curiosity and builds their habits of learning with hands-on activities in the classroom and at home using LEGO® DUPLO® bricks.
Learn More About FLL in the Rutland Area
Rutland Area Robotics is home to many FLL Challenge Teams.
By signing up with us we will connect you with our existing teams and the programming they run.
For FLL Challenge - teams typically form in late summer/early fall and compete in December and January. Some teams may qualify for invitationals or Championship events later in the year. Signing up past September may put you on a waitlist for the following year unless you want to start a new team.
It is important to note, that team sizes are small (6-10 kids) and open spots can be limited. The good news is that like any sport or activity, with volunteer support (such as yours) we can grow our team count and provide more programming for more students. New mentors = more teams = more available spots. It is easy to start a new team (school or community based). We encourage parents, industry professionals and educators to do so!
Rutland Area Robotics can provide support from experienced mentors and older students (connecting you with funding, training, space, supplies and logistics support). FIRST in Vermont was also founded to help new teams form and can provide additional assistance. FIRST FLL Kits include meeting guides that walk new coaches and mentors through the process. Experience is not required.
We are presently looking for volunteers to start FLL Explore and FLL Discover Teams in our area, which will provide STEM programming for our youngest students (4-10).