First Tech Challenge Team Scorpio 15171 holds summer program at Grace All-Star Academy

First Tech Challenge (FTC) Team Scorpio 15171 hosted a week-long summer program at Grace All-Star Academy, mentoring 2nd-4th graders through the FLL (First Lego League) curriculum.

The team introduced the three sections of FLL — “Robot Game, Innovation Project, and Core Values” — and taught the kids essential skills needed for real FLL tournaments. Each day time was dedicated towards the Robot Game, where students learned how to build and program their own Lego robots, and complete a set of challenges related to how the robot moves and reacts to its environment with sensors. The Innovation Project allowed the kids to attack a real-world problem; this year’s theme was saving energy, and present their own creative solution. Each day ended with problem-solving games that aimed to instill values of “Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and Fun” in these STEM-loving youth.

This summer program was a great opportunity to draw attention to the FIRST robotics community and interest potential future competitors in the program. Academy Principal Yan Yang loved the student-led program, and secured the team a position of teaching a year-round robotics class. She says, “The important thing they bring to our students is to cultivate their little minds and encourage the students to design, code, and create artistic projects that bring joy to others.”

Team Scorpio “is very thankful to Grace All-Star Academy for the chance to inspire robotics in the future generation.” For more information about the team, visit ftcscorpio.com and email them at ftcteamscorpio@gmail.com.