Hermantown Robotics is engaging in two engaging robotics competitions this weekend. The FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) tournament is on December 14th from 8am-4:15pm and the FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) tournament is December 15th from 8am-5:00pm.

These competitions provide an opportunity for students to experience the world of robotics and STEM. The FLL competition targets students aged 9-14, emphasizing hands-on learning experiences. They also use critical thinking, design abilities, and problem-solving skills.

John Wojciuk, a Robotics Teacher at Hermantown Elementary, says the FIRST Robotics engage kids wanting to learn about science, engineering, technology and math skills.

“It’s all about STEM, science and problem solving, so they built a robot. They programmed the robot to do multiple missions, trying to score a bunch of points,” Wojciuk said. “If we do well today, we might move on to sectional tournament, so we’ll see what happens.”

Virginia, a team member from the Busted Bots, talked about how FIRST Robotics provides an amazing opportunity to get more girls involved in STEM.

“It can be at some point very overwhelming to have a bunch of boys constantly,” Virginia said. “Overall, it’s really fun, I’ve learned a lot of it.”

The December FLL Regional tournament is a qualifying event to help secure a spot for the state tournament on February 16th. Thirty-seven teams from the Northland will be in attendance for competition, including Hermantown Robotics.

Similarly, the FTC tournament invites students in grades 7-12 to build, design, and program their
robots. The FTC event will host 12 teams from across the state and also serves as a qualifying tournament, helping teams secure spots for the upcoming state tournament scheduled for February 14th-15th, 2025.

Community members are warmly invited to attend both tournaments, support local young
innovators, and witness the incredible work being done by students in the Northland. Also for other stories involving STEM you can read more here.