Challenge

FIRST LEGO League Challenge - Passion for STEM

FIRST LEGO League Challenge is designed for students aged 9 to 16. Each year, participants work for several weeks, either as a team or as a class, tackling a shared project like real engineers. They plan, design, and program an autonomous LEGO® Education robot, conduct research on a self-chosen topic, and create a presentation of their findings.

The FIRST Core Values - such as respectful interaction, shared experiences, and critical thinking—are at the heart of the program.

After several weeks of preparation, teams compete in regional and national tournaments to present their solutions, while classes host an internal final event to showcase their projects.

Challenge Flyer

How Participation Works

Participation as a Team

A team consists of 2 to 10 children aged 9 to 16 and is guided by at least one adult mentor, such as a teacher or parent. Teams can be formed in educational institutions like schools, libraries, and clubs, or within private settings. Over a period of at least 12 weeks, students meet regularly to research, build, and program together. At the end of the season, teams present their results at a regional tournament, where they are evaluated by judges and referees in various categories, including the Robot Game, Research, Robot Design, and Core Values. The best teams have the opportunity to qualify for advanced competitions.

Participation as a Class

For school classes with up to 30 students, FIRST LEGO League Challenge offers a flexible and comprehensive solution. Teachers can integrate the program into regular lessons, extracurricular activities, or elective courses, allowing the entire class to work in small project teams. Students collaboratively research the annual theme and build and program LEGO robots. The project culminates in an internal school competition where students present their results. Additionally, classes have the opportunity to participate in an official Challenge tournament with a selected class team. This gives students the chance to connect with other teams and showcase their projects to a wider audience.

Registration

You can register your Challenge team or school class annually starting in late April/early May for the new season. Team registration is open until the end of October, provided there are still spots available in your desired region. School classes have the flexibility to register year-round and can integrate the program into their curriculum independently of regional tournament dates. This provides plenty of time to choose the perfect starting point. Register now!

Costs

The participation fees for FIRST LEGO League Challenge vary depending on whether you register as a team or a school class:
Team Participation: €309 plus shipping (Germany: €14; Austria: €25; Switzerland: €42)
Class Participation: €738 or €599 (with one instead of two Challenge Sets), plus shipping (Germany: €42; Austria: €75; Switzerland: €126).
School classes can also choose to form teams that participate in regional tournaments. However, registering teams for a tournament must be done separately.

Materials and Support - What You’ll Receive from Us

We aim to make it as easy as possible for teachers and facilitators to participate in the FIRST LEGO League Challenge. That’s why we provide comprehensive support and all the necessary materials.

Season Materials: The Challenge Set includes LEGO bricks, building instructions, and a playmat. The bricks are assembled into models, which are placed and sometimes fixed onto the mat as specified. The Challenge Set creates the environment where the robot, built and programmed by participants, operates. Each team requires its own Challenge Set, while classes receive two sets. Additionally, we provide accompanying guides for facilitators and students. Teams receive these documents digitally, while classes get printed booklets.
Project Completion: At the tournament, teams are recognized with certificates and medals. Teams demonstrating exceptional performance also receive trophies. Classes, as part of their material package, receive certificates and medals for all participating students, as well as a trophy.
Support: We offer year-round support by phone and in person.

Challenge Set: 2024/25 SUBMERGED Saison

Additional Materials: The SPIKE Prime Robotics Set

To participate in FIRST LEGO League Challenge, you will need a LEGO Education robotics set in addition to the materials we provide. We recommend the LEGO Education SPIKE Prime Set, as it is perfectly aligned with the program's requirements and educational curriculum. Teams require one set, while 3 to 5 sets are ideal for classes.

The robotics set is reusable for future FIRST LEGO League Challenge seasons and other STEM projects. It offers a wide range of building elements and learning units, making the learning process exciting and hands-on.

Alternatively, you can also use the LEGO Education EV3 or NXT Robotics Set. If you have any questions or need information on suppliers, we are happy to help!

Additional Materials: The Table

The Challenge Set includes a playmat and LEGO models. We recommend placing the set on a special table with a border. To ensure that your Challenge Set is optimally positioned and to allow you to train under competition-like conditions, we provide building instructions for both a sturdy and a foldable play table.

Building Instructions official Table

Building Instructions for foldable Table

Evaluation and Rubrics

At a FIRST LEGO League Challenge tournament, teams are evaluated by judges and referees in various categories and recognized for their performance during the awards ceremony at the end of the competition day.

Students participating as part of a class project receive recognition during internal school competitions. Teachers can also organize school presentations where students showcase their projects and are acknowledged for their achievements. In all cases, the focus is on the learning process, teamwork, and solving complex challenges.

Teams are evaluated in the rubrics of Robot Game, Research, Robot Design, Core Values, Coaching, and Overall Performance. Results are determined based on predefined evaluation criteria.

More Information on Evaluation