Queens Students Explore Power Puzzle Challenge

Team members from the Baccalaureate School, Astoria, cheered on their robot.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology, brings its annual FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) season to New York City with the 2007 Power Puzzle Challenge. On December 15, the Queens Regional Qualifying Tournament took place in the aircraft hangar at Aviation H. S. The event ran from 9 a.m. to 2:40 p.m., with opening and closing/awards ceremonies from 9 to 9:20 a.m. and 2 to 2:40 p.m., respectively. Between those times, students competed with their robots continuously.

This year's challenge called for teams of 9- to 14-year-old children to research and present their own creative applications of energy solutions to improve people's lives. On December 15, eight weeks of research and design culminated in the FLL, where 21 teams of children and mentors demonstrated their problem-solving skills, creative thinking, teamwork, competitive play, sportsmanship and sense of community.

Photos Carol Marino Entrants in the contest cheered their robot.

The FLL competition was judged in four areas: project presentation, robot performance; technical design and programming of the robot, and teamwork. The highest honor went to the team that best exemplified the spirit and values of the program.

"The diversity of ideas and solutions at these events is rivaled only by the diversity of the background of the students and mentors. People with roots from around the world come together to actively participate in science, technology, engineering and math for a common altruistic goal: make the world a better place for all of us," Regional FLL Coordinator, Michael Koumoullos said.

FLL is an international program for 9- to 14-year-old children created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 based on their common belief that fun and learning go hand-in-hand, and that an inspired mind can accomplish anything. Each September, FIRST announces the annual Challenge to teams, engaging them in authentic scientific research and hands-on robotics design. Using LEGO MINDSTORMS ® bricks, motors, gears and software, children work alongside adult mentors to design, build and program robots to solve real-world challenges. After eight intense weeks, the competition season culminates at high-energy, sports-like tournaments.

Lego robot layouts occupied a hangar at Aviation H.S. December 15.

FLL's 10th anniversary is also its biggest season, with more than 10,000 teams- more than 90,000 students from 44 countries- competing in hundreds of qualifying events and Championship Tournaments. Regional winners will have a chance to participate at the FIRST LEGO League World Festival, to be held in conjunction with the FIRST Vex Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition Championship for high-school students, April 17 to 19, 2008 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Queens Qualifying Tournament was sponsored by Aviation H.S., the Quantum Samurai, the Independence Community Foundation and the Aviation Education Corporation.

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. With the support of many of the world's most wellknown companies, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Vex Challenge for high-school students, the FIRST LEGO® League for children 9 - 14 year olds, and the Junior FIRST LEGO League for 6- to 9-year-olds. For more information, visit www.usfirst.org.

The LEGO Group, a privately-held, family owned company based in Billund, Denmark, is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-quality, creatively educational play materials for children. The company is committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: "Only the best is good enough." For more information, visit www.LEGO.com

LEGO, MINDSTORMS and their respective logos are trademarks of The LEGO Group.