FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a multinational non-profit organization, that aspires to transform culture, making science, math, engineering, and technology as cool for kids as sports are today.

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is an international program for children created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Company. The program promotes the concept of inspiring and celebrating science and technology to children ages 9 through 14, using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. Each September, FLL announces the annual Challenge, which engages teams in hands-on robotics design and authentic scientific research. After eight exciting weeks of design and testing, the FLL season culminates at high-energy, sports-like regional competitions.

Using LEGO bricks and other elements such as sensors, motors, and gears, teams gain hands-on experience in engineering and computer-programming principles as they construct and program their unique robot inventions.

The FLL program utilizes products from LEGO Education, headquartered at the Pitsco facility in Pittsburg, Kansas. LEGO Education is a joint venture between Pitsco and the LEGO Company. Each year, FLL teams purchase their Challenge Sets from LEGO Education.

In 2003 over 43,000 children from 14 countries participated in the FLL program. LEGO Education consultants attend the various regional events held throughout the United States. The student teams at the regional events vie for positions at the national finals held in Atlanta, Georgia.

For more information on FIRST LEGO League, please visit www.firstlegoleague.org.