Welcome to the MD First Lego League Website

You won't find a more exciting day for your technology minded young person. Plan now to attend the 2008-09 Maryland FLL State Championship on January 31, 2009 at UMBC's Retriever Athletic Center.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT ATTENDING THE EVENT.

FLASH:  MD is one of the state championships that qualifies for worlds. Read more.

CLICK HERE FOR KEY DEADLINES AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE JAN 31 TOURNAMENT.

TEAMS: Check Out Miss Mary's Last Minute Tips for Tournament Teams
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 If you and your children have an interest in technology and robotics you should plan on attending the Maryland FIRST LEGO League State Tournament on Saturday, January 31

The event is FREE to the public.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

What is a FIRST LEGO League State Championship?

It's an event where more than 80 teams compete for the coveted Champion's Award which provides an invitation to the world championship in Atlanta in April. The teams have typically been working for 100's of hours beginning in late August to perfect the four areas of the competition. The highest combined score wins the Champion's Award.

The four areas are:

• A research project: This year the teams must identify global climate issues, research the local and global impant, and propose solutions to improve the climate.
   
• A teamwork interview: The team is interviewed and given some challenges to solve. They are scored on their ability to work together to accomplish the task.
   
• A technical interview:  The team's robot and programming is reviewed by a group of engineers and scored for efficiency, innovation, and effectiveness.
   
• The table challenge: This is the big public event full of exciting accomplishments and agonizing failures. The teams have 2.5 minutes to complete a number of tasks on a table using autonomous robots. The missions must be flawless, the execution perfect. The goal: 400 point perfect score.

This Year's Challenge

Building a Global Game Plan

Embark on an exploration of the earth's climate in the Climate Connections Challenge! Discover the links between science, people, resources and communities. Unearth how we learn about past climates and delve into questions surrounding our current and future climatic conditions. Join FLL teams in creating a global game plan as they make these Climate Connections!

Every year, FLL works with experts in the field to create a Challenge that relates to a significant real-world issue. The end result is a two-part Challenge that requires research to complete The Project, and science and engineering to master the complex missions of The Robot Game. It’s a fun and exciting way to encourage kids’ minds.