Long Island students to compete in LEGO challenge

More than 180 teams of 9- to 14-year-old students will be showing off their research and robotics skills when the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League challenge comes to Long Island starting next month.

In the series of robotics tournaments, sponsored by the School-Business Partnership of Long Island, teams of students from Nassau and Suffolk will demonstrate their problem-solving skills, creative thinking, teamwork, sportsmanship and a sense of community while creating competitive LEGO robots.

For this season’s challenge, called City Shaper, FIRST collaborated with experts in the fields of architecture, civil engineering, infrastructure, sustainability and urban planning. The group helped design a theme and missions that reflect what it takes to design and construct sustainable buildings and spaces.

The FIRST LEGO League, now in its 21st year, anticipates participation from close to 300,000 children in more than 100 different countries, hosting hundreds of qualifying tournaments and championship events.

Teams are judged based on project innovation, robot design and core values, including teamwork and good sportsmanship. Students will be challenged to program their LEGO robots to solve a series of missions and complete an obstacle course.

Teams will have a chance to compete in the LEGO League World Festival, which is held during the FIRST Robotics Championship in Detroit in April.

On Long Island, qualifying tournaments will be held at the following dates and locations:

• Saturday, January 11, 2020 at William Floyd High School, 240 Mastic Beach Road, Mastic Beach, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Saturday, January 25, 2020 at Huntington High School, 188 Oakwood Road, Huntington from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Sunday, January 26, 2020 at Huntington High School, 188 Oakwood Road, Huntington from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Saturday, February 8, 2020 at Mineola High School, 10 Armstrong Road, Garden City Park from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Sunday, February 9, 2020 at Mineola High School, 10 Armstrong Road, Garden City Park from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information about the School-Business Partnerships of Long Island and the FIRST Robotics Competition, visit sbpli-lifirst.org.