Qualifying Tournaments Begin for the FIRST LEGO League ANIMAL ALLIES Season

Series of Five Tournaments Presented by School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. to be Held at Area High Schools
January 17, 2017
FIRST LEGO League Animal Allies

Imagination and science will come together this month as FIRST® LEGO® League teams, comprised of students ages nine to 14, as well as their mentors, demonstrate their problem-solving skills, creative thinking, teamwork, competitive play, sportsmanship and sense of community during a series of five Qualifying Tournaments.

 

The theme of this year’s challenge is ANIMAL ALLIESSM, which requires the students to identify and solve real-world problems regarding the way that animals and humans interact and how these interactions can be improved. Students will present their research to a group of judges during the Project portion of the event.

 

FIRST LEGO League introduces young people to the excitement of learning with its partner The LEGO Group. Students are encouraged to explore and pursue science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields both within the FIRST program and in their future education and careers.

 

The FIRST Long Island Qualifiers will be held as follows:

Saturday, January 21, 2017 at Central Islip High School [morning and afternoon tournaments]

Sunday, January 22, 2017 at Central Islip High School

Saturday, January 28, 2017 at Mineola High School [morning and afternoon tournaments]

 

Some winning teams will have the opportunity to advance to the FIRST LEGO League Championship presented by School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI) to be held on Sunday, March 5, 2017 at Longwood High School. Some of the teams competing in the Long Island Championship will also have the opportunity to participate at the FIRST LEGO League World Festival, to be held in conjunction with the FIRST Championship, from April 26 to 29, 2017, at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

 

“We are very excited to be able to present the FIRST LEGO League programs to students across Long Island,” says Bertram Dittmar, Executive Director, SBPLI. “Not only is this program a great way to build teamwork and sportsmanship skills in young people, but it is also a perfect way to introduce young people to the many benefits of a career in STEM fields. We look forward to seeing what the students come up with for this challenge!”