The Shreveport FIRST LEGO League Explore Festival hosted by the Sci Port Discovery Center is taking place as part of the
2025 ArtBreak Festival, and we hope your team can participate!

FIRST LEGO League Explore Festival
Saturday, May 3rd, 9:30am-12:30pm 
Shreveport Convention Center

Come join us in a celebration to showcase your team’s display and share with reviewers the work your team has been doing this year. So pull your teams together, break out your SUBMERGED model, your Show Me poster, and your team spirit, and join us at ArtBreak.

There is NO CHARGE to participate, but you MUST register below by April 15th!

Please complete this form if your FIRST LEGO League Challenge team would like to showcase their robot for the high school teams and visitors at the FIRST Robotics Competition Bayou Regional at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner on April 4th / 5th.

1 hr time slots are available on a first come, first served basis on Friday April 4^th 10am-5pm and Saturday April 5^th 10am-Noon for up to 2 teams per time slot.

FLL teams will also be able to see 56 high school robotics teams from Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, California, Minnesota, Missouri, Mexico and Turkey in action! You can get an introduction to the game and the excitement at https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/game-and-season. It is a great way to get a preview of what our FLL teams can look forward to in high school.

A SUBMERGED Challenge field will be set up in the atrium of the Pontchartrain Center staffed by FIRST Robotics Team 2080 from Hammond. FIRST LEGO League teams are asked to bring their robot and attachments to demonstrate what missions they have been able to accomplish and talk with visitors about what it is like to be on a FIRST LEGO League Challenge team. Teams are also welcome to bring project materials to showcase.

REFEREES: Please enter a team’s top match score only. Teams are required to upload links to 3 Robot Game Videos for scoring by 5pm on Friday, Feb. 28^th, but referees need only review the video with the top expected score for each team. You only need to review the 2nd and 3rd video if the 1st video is disqualified for any reason (eg. drivers switching sides, etc.), of if they don’t score as high as they thought and the next one down may score higher. Please use your judgement.

Due to the winter storm last week, the LA FIRST LEGO State Championship will be rescheduled and converted to a remote event. We are currently considering dates to hold virtual 30 minute team judging sessions between March 8th and March 11th and would like team input. Please complete the form below to let us know ALL of the dates your team would be available to participate over Zoom.

Please keep in mind the following:

• DEADLINE TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY IS THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 31st.
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• We are striving to match team and judge availability to select the best days and times and will choose the best options below, which are when the maximum number of teams and judges are available. We therefore need you to identify ALL of the times your team would be available, not just a “favorite”. Once the best days/times are determined, teams will be assigned a time slot and sent a Zoom link.
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• The judging sessions will be 30 minutes on Zoom and will follow the FIRST Judging Session Flowchart available on the FIRST website and in your Team Information Packet previously sent. Teams may certainly present as they would have at an in-person event; however, keep in mind that the “eye of the judge” is now the eye of the camera, so fine print on a poster, for example, may not be legible. 
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• Teams must be able to gather together on ONE Zoom connection. We tried during Covid to conduct judging sessions where team members were all at different locations, and it did not work well.

If you have questions regarding the above prior to completing the form, please contact Annette Oertling, LA FIRST LEGO League Challenge Program Delivery Partner.

Please complete the survey below to let us know if hosting the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition Bayou Regional on Easter weekend, April 2nd-4th, would prevent you from volunteering.

We have been informed that currently the only date available for the 2026 Bayou Regional is the week of Easter Sunday, April 2^nd – 4^th. There is still a possibility that could change, but we would like to gauge our volunteer participation if it turns out that is the weekend we have available. The alternative is to move to a different city, potentially an hour or more away.

We are not asking for a commitment. We just need to have a better understanding of the impact on our volunteers. This does not impact the 2025 Bayou Regional, which is scheduled for April 3rd – 5th at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner.

Thank you!

Annette and Michelle
FRC Bayou Regional Volunteers

Need help getting started?  There are a number of opportunities to attend a FIRST LEGO League Challenge “Jump-Start” or a Coach Training this year! 

Jump Starts are a great way for rookie teams to get up to speed, but veteran teams are also welcome. Each Jump-Start is being individually hosted, so the particular agenda may vary, but they typically include breakout sessions where team members and coaches can learn about the robot, the challenge theme (for project prep) and core values. Attendance is free, but please register by the Wednesday prior to the Saturday event.  If the registration number exceeds the capacity of a facility, registration for that event will be closed. At least one adult (team’s coach, mentor, interested parent, etc.) will need to attend with each team (group of 10 students) and be with the students in any of the breakout sessions. No students may be dropped off unaccompanied.  

Coach Trainings provide an overview of the FIRST LEGO League program, including an introduction to the robot and coding, and are adults only. Attendance is free, but please register by the Wednesday prior to the Saturday event.  If the registration number exceeds the capacity of a facility, registration for that event will be closed.

To make the most of these opportunities, it is recommended that you:

• Build your robot ahead of time. Instructions for a basic robot come with the Spike Prime set (or EV3 set, which is still allowed).
• Bring your team laptop with the software already loaded. Note that the software for Spike Prime is Scratch based and also works with the EV3. For the old EV3 edition, go to the “EV3 Lab Software”. You can download the free LEGO EDUCATION SPIKE Prime software HERE or the EV3 Lab Software (original EV3 edition) HERE.

2024 Locations and Dates

LAFAYETTE:  FIRST LEGO League Jump Start (coaches and students)

Saturday, September 7^th , 8:30 – 11:45 am, at Acadiana Renaissance Charter Academy, 600 Savoy Rd, Youngsville, LA 70592. (High School Building) Hosted by FIRST Robotics Competition Team Phenomena 3616
Topics: Building and Programming Strategies to maximize Points and assistance with creating Innovation Solution to a problem relating to the 2024 Theme all guided by the FIRST Core Values.
Bring:  Robots and laptops will be helpful if you have particular questions. Valuable resources will be shared to help with programming and tips for an Innovation Solution to a Problem.
REGISTER BELOW  (please register by Wednesday, September 4, 2024).

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NEW ORLEANS: FIRST LEGO League Coach Training (adults only)

Saturday, September 7^th, 9am-12:30pm – at the University of New Orleans TRAC Center on UNO’s campus in New Orleans. Louis Jackson, Louisiana FIRST Senior Mentor and past coach of an award-winning FIRST LEGO League team, will introduce coaches to the new SUBMERGED season and provide guidance on building and programming your robot, tackling the missions, and managing a team. Attendance is free, but reservations are required. Parking details will be emailed to all registered participants. Both rookies and veterans are welcome! REGISTER BELOW.
WHAT TO BRING TO THE EVENT:
* A programmable base robot
* A device that can be used to program the robot

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HAMMOND: FIRST LEGO League Jump Start (coaches and students)

Saturday, September 21^st, 9am-2pm. FRC Torbotics 2080 is proud to announce their 7th annual FIRST LEGO League Jump Start to occur on Saturday, September 21st at Hammond High Magnet School.  This event will cater to both rookie and veteran teams with breakout sessions on programming, robot design and team development geared to the needs of each group. We are also putting together a panel of professionals in the area of oceanic discovery and engineering to help spark potential project research ideas as we aim to submerge ourselves. 

To attend the Hammond Jump Start, you must REGISTER AT THIS LINK =  https://forms.gle/Gqt4Ch1YS8eNfhFn9. At least one adult will need to attend with each team.  This adult can be the team’s coach, mentor, interested parent, etc. All students must be accompanied by an adult to the robot design, programming and professional panel break out sessions.  There will be an FRC Torbotics team member assigned to each FLL team.  This student will be your team’s guide throughout the event to assist you, as needed.  Several of our FRC team members started their FIRST journey on FLL Challenge and Explore teams and have also been involved in FTC.  They are a great resource to answer questions from a student’s perspective.
TENTATIVE EVENT SCHEDULE:
 9:00 am – 9:30 am   Team Arrival & Welcome
 9:30 am – 10:20 am   1^st Breakout Session
10:30 am – 11:20 am   2^nd Breakout Session
11:30 am – 12:00 am   3^rd Breakout Session and Team Core Values Exchange 
12:00 am – 12:40 pm   Lunch
12:40 pm –  1:45 pm    Project Development: Professional Panel and Activities
1:45pm – 2pm  Closing Remarks & Next Steps Reminders
BREAKOUT SESSIONS WILL INCLUDE:
* Robot Design & Strategy: Explore innovative robot design, strategic game play techniques, and helpful tips for attachment designs. 
* SPIKE Prime Programming: Focus on programming with SPIKE Prime, offering practical guidance and tips to help participants enhance their coding skills and optimize robot performance. 
* EV3 Programming: Explore programming with EV3 Mindstorms, learn essential techniques and strategies to enhance a robots performance and sensor usage
* Preparing for Competitions – What to Expect: Prepare for competition by learning what to expect on event day, including tips on navigating the schedule, understanding judging sessions, and helping your team feel comfortable with the experience. 
WHAT TO BRING TO THE EVENT:
* A programmable base robot (if you group would like help preparing a base robot before the event please let us know)
* A device that can be used to program the robot
* Innovation Project Ideas

Teams may elect to bring their own lunch or can participate in a bulk pizza order and delivery.  More information regarding lunch options will be sent to registered teams as it gets closer to the event. If you have any questions as you are helping your team plan for this event, you are invited to email frcteam2080@gmail.com or you can contact Jean Williams (jean.williams@tangischools.org).

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NATIONAL LEVEL TRAINING: FIRST Certified Professional Development

August, September, October – please see https://www.firstinspires.org/community/educators/professional-development for remote and in-person options. The fee is $600 per seat, but with the remote training, there can be 3 teachers per seat, as long as all are in the same location for the training logging in from a single computer.

FIRST has just announced that there are FREE SEATS available to teachers who would like to attend a 2-day FIRST LEGO League Challenge, Explore, Discover or FTC professional development workshop at NASA, Stennis Space Center in MS on August 26 & 27.  The flyer is attached. To request one of those free seats, please contact Dana Aucoin (daucoin@firstinspires.org) to process. This is an excellent way, for new coaches especially, to get up to speed. FIRST does a great job packing a lot into these workshops!

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General questions regarding the Jump Starts and Training may be addressed to
Louisiana FIRST LEGO League Program Delivery Partners:
Dr. Annette Oertling  and  Dr. Michelle Sanchez
aoertling@firstpartners.org           msanchez@firstpartners.org

We hope you had a great 2024/25 season with your FIRST LEGO League Explore and Challenge, and FIRST Tech Challenge teams! BPX has expressed interest in continuing their funding for FIRST teams in your parish, but we need to provide them with a follow up report for last year’s funding and a statement of intent for next year. Please complete the brief form found below to provide the information we need to request funding for the 2025/26 season.

For currently funded teams to be eligible for funding next year,
you need to submit this form by Friday, April 28th, 2025!

Thank you!

Annette Oertling, Ph.D.
FIRST LEGO League Challenge Program Delivery Partner
President, FIRST Louisiana Mississippi, Inc.
aoertling@firstpartners.org

Thank you for your interest in starting a
FIRST LEGO League Explore (Grades 2-4),
FIRST LEGO League Challenge (Grades 4-8), or
FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team (grades 7-12)!

Please see the Grant Requirements and the Timeline below. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Annette Oertling ,
FIRST Program Delivery co-Partner for Louisiana FIRST LEGO League.

BPX Grant Requirements:

• Team must be hosted by a public school in Bossier Parish.
• There must be 2 adult coaches (mentors) for each team to comply with FIRST Youth Protection Protocols.
• 1 coach per team is expected to attend the online live FIRST Professional Development workshop(s) (14hr total) in September/October time frame.
• Finances will be managed by FIRST Louisiana-Mississippi, Inc. (FIRST LA-MS), the non-profit organization managing FIRST programs in Louisiana. Purchase of equipment and team registration must be handled by FIRST LA-MS. Receipts are needed for reimbursement of other expenses paid directly by teams.
• A follow up report will be requested, which will include team progress and team demographics.

FIRST LEGO League Explore Teams are invited to participate in a “Festival” (spring time frame) and FIRST LEGO League Challenge teams are invited to participate in a tournament (December), both hosted by SciPort, though it is not a grant requirement in the first year. FIRST Tech Challenge teams have multiple opportunities to participate in Qualifying Tournaments, with potential advancement to the State Championship.

2023-24 Timeline

• August/September – team registration and equipment/material ordering (robot, engineering notebooks, team meeting guide, etc.). Once school starts, team members should be identified as soon as possible.
• September/October – online live FIRST Professional Development workshop(s) (14hr total)
• December/January – FIRST LEGO League Challenge Qualifying Tournament and State Championship (to which 60 teams advance)
• December through March – FIRST Tech Challenge Qualifying Tournaments and State Championship
• March/April – tentative date for Explore Festival at SciPort
• April – brief follow up report requested.