Last Saturday, February 15, over 400 area youth grades K-8 participated in the FSFLL Champion’s Tournament held at New Castle Air National Guard Base (166th Airlift Wing), New Castle, DE. Opening event speakers included DE US Senator Chris Coons and Brigadier General Carol A. Timmons, Assistant Adjutant General (Air).

Delaware National Guard troops were on hand with displays that showcase military technology and robotics, many with special tie to the students’ challenge theme. For this year’s challenge students used engineering design and processes to come up with a plan to prepare for, survive or recover from a natural disaster.

“Prepare. Respond. Recover.”

“The competition showcases all the best of LEGO bricks and robotics and the excitement of kids applying STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – wrapped up in an atmosphere of science and the NCAA Basketball Finals, with high energy music in the background,’ said Lou Rosanio, First State FIRST LEGO League Director. “One of the goals of the competition is to help facilitate kids going from users of robotics, to designers of robotics.”

Major Gen. Frank Vavala, adjutant general, Delaware National Guard, said, “The themes of ‘Nature’s Fury’ and ‘Disaster Blaster’ in this year’s competition perfectly fit the National Guard, because on any day our Airmen and Soldiers may be called to duty to help citizens of our state, nation or world respond when a natural disaster threatens. We are also a technology-intensive organization, so we appreciate the kinds of problem-solving that these youth will engage in while facing a simulated natural disaster.”

Photos and video online

DE Online news article and video here   Includes video of DE US Senator Chris Coons, opening ceremony speaker, wearing his new neck tie made entirely of LEGO plastic bricks!

More photos from the DE News Journal/DE Online here

Watch Air guard video interview with DE FSFLL director, Lou Rosanio