Focused on building an interest in science and engineering in children ages 6-10, FIRST® LEGO® League Explore is a hands-on program designed to capture young children’s curiosity and direct it toward discovering how science and technology impact the world around them. This program features a real-world challenge, to be explored through research, critical thinking and imagination. Guided by adult coaches and the FIRST LEGO League Explore Core Values, team members work with LEGO elements and motorized parts to build ideas and concepts and present them for review.
The culmination of the hard work for many teams is the participation at a FIRST LEGO League Explore Festival. Volunteer Reviewers at the event interview the teams to learn about their LEGO Model and Show Me poster. All the teams are celebrated and all teams leave with an award. While participation at an Festival is not a requirement, teams are encouraged to attend one. Teams can also show off their work on the Online Showcase.
The FIRST Core Values
We express the FIRST® philosophies of Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition® through our Core Values:
- Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas.
- Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.
- Impact: We apply what we learn to improve our world.
- Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.
- Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.
- Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do!
How does it work?
Every year, FIRST® LEGO® League Explore works with experts in the field to create a Challenge that relates to an important real world issue. The end result of the design process is a Challenge with two defined parts – the Show Me Poster and the Model. The Core Values represent how a team accomplishes their goals.
Show Me Poster
The Show Me Poster requires teams to illustrate their research and team journey. It provides an opportunity for them to share what they studied, what they learned, and to show information about the team and each team member.
Teams…
- Create a Show Me Poster using a flat poster board or tri-fold presentation board.
- Use words, drawings, photos, and small objects to tell about what they have learned during their Challenge research.
- Show where they hunted for answers and describe the people they spoke with on their journey.
- Describe their Model and simple machine.
- Tell about the team itself.
Model
The Model gets teams moving! Teams build a representation of what they are researching, based off the Challenge, and incorporate simple machines and movement into their creation.
Teams…
- Create a Model that fits within a 30” x 15” footprint.
- Design a Model made of LEGO® parts. Typically, a team of six will use 400 to 1,000 LEGO parts during the season.
- Must have at least one motorized piece on the Model using LEGO WeDo 2.0 or SPIKE Essential.
- Create a simple machine using LEGO ramps, levers, pulleys, gears, wheels and axles, screws, or wedges and incorporates this into their model.
- Specific information is available when the Challenge is released.
Hands-on Learning
Start a Team
Participating in FIRST LEGO League Explore is an amazing experience for both the kids and the adults involved. With your guidance, the children on your team are going to inspire you, and those around you, in surprising ways. If you have no technical background, don’t be nervous. The team members are the ones who do the work. You only need to ask the questions and watch them… GO!
FIRST LEGO League Explore is a celebration! Coaches help other coaches. Teams help other teams. We want everyone who participates – team member, coach, or event volunteer – to have a fulfilling experience. That’s the reason FIRST built FIRST LEGO League Explore upon a set of Core Values that guides everything we do.
The following steps will give you an idea of what coaching an FIRST LEGO League Explore team is all about. The FIRST LEGO League Explore season is approximately 8-10 weeks, and can be started at any time during the standard season (August to April). We recommend that teams identify a Festival they wish to attend and start their seasons about 8-10 weeks before that Festival.
How much does it cost?
$0
Average Cost for a New Team
$0
Average Cost for a Returning Team
Season Timeline
Steps for Starting a Team
Full details on getting started can be found in the Season Standards Manual.
Team Grants
This page lists the available Grants and other financial aid opportunities for our FIRST LEGO League program, if any are available. Click the entires below to learn more!
2024 Challenge:
SUBMERGED
The ocean is more than what you can see on the horizon. Beneath the surface lies our planet’s most complex ecosystems, full of life and potential for exploration and learning, where each inhabitant has a role to play in building a thriving environment.
During the 2024-2025 FIRST season, FIRST® DIVE℠ presented by Qualcomm, teams will use their STEM and collaboration skills to explore life beneath the surface of the ocean. Along the way, we’ll uncover the potential in each of us to strengthen our community and innovate for a better world with healthy oceans. Join us as we explore the future.
Official Festivals
Register Using MyCVR
2024 Official Events
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Regional Team Status List
Below is a list of teams and team status for teams in the Central California Area.
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