FIRST LEGO League Challenge

Basic Information

Grade Level: 4th grade - 8th grade

Season Duration: Late August - December

Time Commitment: 4-6 hours per week

Friendly competition is at the heart of Challenge, as teams of students engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering – building and programming a LEGO robot that navigates the missions of a robot game. As part of Challenge, teams also participate in a research project to identify and solve a relevant real-world problem.


There are 3 main components of the program:

The Robot: Students will make and program a robot using Spike Prime technology to complete missions.  The video on the right describes the 2023 game and missions that students create their robots to complete.

The Innovation Project: Completely separate from the robot, students are given a yearly theme and are challenged to identify a problem in that field, develop a solution, and present their research to a panel of judges.  As a part of this project, students will meet with industry experts and complete research.  The video on the right describes an example of the 2021 innovation project.

The Core Values: Through the program design and implementation, the core values of FIRST are embedded in everything the students do.

The student's experience culminates with an end-of-the-year competition held at Wolcott High School where they'll compete with over 20 teams from around the state.  A select few teams will then be invited to the Connecticut State Championship.  

Here are some findings from the program:

Register Here!

All of our teams are the same, so choose the one that works best for you!

Team 1

Meeting Days and Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:00-8:30

Location: Wolcott High School

Start Date:  September 3rd

End Date: December 14th

Team 2

Meeting Days and Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:00-8:30

Location: Wolcott High School

Start Date:  September 3rd

End Date: December 14th

Team 3

Meeting Days and Times: Mondays and Wednesdays 6:00-8:30

Location: Wolcott High School

Start Date:  September 2nd

End Date: December 14th

Question and Answer

If you have a question that isn't answered below, feel free to email joinateam@wolcottrobotics.org

Are parents required to stay for the program?

Parents are not required to stay for all sessions but are highly encouraged to get involved and work with their child.  Parent involvement always makes our teams better.

Are there any program costs?

There is a $50 registration fee for the program, which helps to cover materials, competition entry fees, and lunch at the competition.  If you have any trouble paying this fee, email foundation@wolcottrobotics.org

What is Remind and how do I join?

Remind is the communication system that we use for our programs.  This allows mentors to send out messages to all parents and enables parents to directly message the mentorsInstructions on joining Remind are included in the registration form.  Parents are required to be on Remind if they register their child for the program. 

What is the next step after FIRST LEGO League Challenge?

The program after FIRST LEGO League Challenge is FIRST Tech Challenge (7-8 grade) OR FIRST Robotics Competition (9-12 grade).  See the pages on these programs for more information.

Do I need to be from Wolcott or enrolled in the Wolcott Public Schools?

Yes, all students enrolling in the FIRST Lego League Challenge are required to be enrolled in the Wolcott Public Schools.  However, FIRST is an international program and anyone can start a team.  If your child doesn't attend the Wolcott Public Schools and you'd like to start a team, please email ymacary@wolcottrobotics.org as we can assist with the process, and may be able to provide funding.

How can I support the Wolcott Robotics Programs?

Wolcott Robotics Foundation members will send info about fundraising efforts on Remind, so if you'd like to help support our cause please keep a lookout.

What if we can't make every single session?

We understand that students may have to miss a session or two, however, we STRONGLY encourage students to make as many sessions as possible.  Students will be working as a team, so absences may affect other members, and the program is cumulative and will be significantly less beneficial if students miss many sessions.  We expect students to be fully committed to the program.

What is the end of the year competition?

The end-of-the-year competition is hosted at Wolcott High School in November and allows students to compete against teams from around the state for various awards and the chance to advance to the Connecticut FLL State Championship.  Students will have a judging session where they present in front of a panel of judges and will participate in robot matches.

What if the team advances to the state championship?

If the team advances to the state championship they will meet into December and participates in a second competition, which is held at Glastonbury High School.

FIRST Lego League Challenge and FIRST Tech Challenge are both available for 7th and 8th graders.  Which should my child join?

FIRST Tech Challenge introduces students to metal robots and real-world coding.  Students who enjoy coding, engineering, and the more technical aspects of the program are encouraged to join FIRST Tech Challenge.  On the contrary, FIRST LEGO League Challenge is a great program for beginners to get experience using simpler software and materials.  The innovation project is also an aspect of FIRST LEGO League Challenge that FIRST Tech Challenge doesn't have, and as such any students who gravitate towards that type of work rather than mechanical work are recommended to stay in FIRST LEGO League Challenge.

Why is there a non-technical aspect of the program (the Innovation Challenge)?

While the innovation challenge doesn't always involve hard STEM skills, it is a great way for students to learn real-world skills that set them up for success.  This part of the program helps students develop critical thinking, presentation skills, research skills, creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving.  Most importantly, the innovation project helps demonstrate to the students how science and technology can be applied to improve everyone's lives.