School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. will be preparing children for the "NATURE'S FURYSM" Challenge at the FIRST LEGO League practice tournament on December 7 at Ronkonkoma Middle School.

In "NATURE'S FURYSM", children 9-14 years old will research and present their own creative solutions to one of the largest international issues: natural disasters, which have affected nearly three billion people, globally. Children (up to 10 students to a team) and their coaches will utilize robots to solve a set of natural disaster missions, such as positioning an evacuation sign, clearing an airplane's runway of debris, and delivering supplies. They will present solutions that they can potentially use in a real-life natural disaster situations.

This year, 23,000 FLL teams from 80 countries will participate.

FLL is an international program created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 to get children excited about science and technology - and teach them valuable career and life skills.

“School-Business Partnerships of Long Island is excited to take part in this educational program year after year,” says Joani Madarash, Executive Director of School-Business Partnerships of Long Island. “Each year, children have learned innovative ways to solve problems by using science and technology and making it fun thanks to the FLL. This year’s theme is important for the children of our future to know.”