Farmington Public Schools

Designed for students in grades 5–6, CHALLENGE teams engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering — building and programming a LEGO® robot to navigate the missions of a competitive robot game. Students will work together to complete a research project and presentation, program a robot to complete a series of missions, and then showcase their work by competing against other teams in November. "Grab your gear, pack your magnifying glass, rope, and pickaxe — the adventure begins! In this season of FIRST® LEGO® League CANOPY™, you and your team will experience the vibrancy of the world's ecosystems in the BIOGLOW™ Challenge!" Please note: FLL CHALLENGE is a competition-level program, which is a step up from FLL EXPLORE. The robot and research project that students develop throughout the season are what they will present and compete with against other teams. To ensure the team is fully prepared, students are expected to attend all meetings and must be committed to the work involved. Students may be asked to complete work between meetings, and additional sessions may be scheduled closer to the competition date if needed. Parent Coaches Needed! This program requires at least one additional Parent Coach to co-manage the team. Program Manager Tuhan Nguyen will be present to run each session, but FIRST guidelines require two adults to be present with the team at all times. No technical experience is necessary, and this responsibility can be shared among multiple parents throughout the season. If you are interested in serving as a Parent Coach, please contact Tuhan Nguyen at nguyent@fpsct.org or Enrichment Supervisor Aakash Terra at terraL@fpsct.org. Registration deadline: September 22nd The course fee includes all required supplies.

Designed for Kindergarten students, DISCOVER teams explore the basics of STEM and building as they are introduced to real-world problems and challenges. "Engineer a thriving planet with FIRST. Nothing on Earth thrives alone. Every gene, species, and ecosystem is part of a rich web of biological diversity that powers clean air, fresh water, and food. With STEM as their tool and nature as their inspiration, today's boldest innovators are finding new ways to strengthen the connections that protect our shared home. Building, problem solving, and growing stronger through teamwork. Students will experience the vibrancy of the world's ecosystems in the BIOGLOW™ challenge. Welcome to our 2026–2027 biodiversity-themed robotics season, FIRST CANOPY®." Using LEGO®, students will build, create, and explore this year's theme of biodiversity through hands-on engineering challenges. Working together as a team, students will develop habits of learning, confidence, and collaboration along the way. They will think and act like designers and engineers — learning to observe, question, gather information, and think critically about the world around them. Parent Coaches Needed! This program cannot run without Parent Coaches, and we would love to have you involved! If you are interested in coaching a team, please contact FIRST LEGO League Program Manager Tuhan Nguyen at nguyent@fpsct.org or Enrichment Supervisor Aakash Terra at terraL@fpsct.org for more information. Coaches will work with a team of up to eight children, including their own. The program is run in partnership with the Farmington High School Robotics team, and each coach will be supported by a student mentor throughout the season. Coaches serve as the responsible adult in the room and are welcome to be as hands-on or hands-off with the actual instruction as they choose — a weekly curriculum guide will be provided, and student mentors are fully prepared to lead the teaching. The program manager will also be present at all meetings to provide support and supervision. The course fee includes all required supplies.

Designed for students in grades 1–4, EXPLORE teams dive into the fundamentals of engineering as they tackle real-world problems, learn to design and code, and create unique solutions built with LEGO® bricks and powered by LEGO® SPIKE®. "Engineer a thriving planet with FIRST. Nothing on Earth thrives alone. Every gene, species, and ecosystem is part of a rich web of biological diversity that powers clean air, fresh water, and food. With STEM as their tool and nature as their inspiration, today's boldest innovators are finding new ways to strengthen the connections that protect our shared home. Building, problem solving, and growing stronger through teamwork. Students will experience the vibrancy of the world's ecosystems in the BIOGLOW™ challenge. Welcome to our 2026–2027 biodiversity-themed robotics season, FIRST CANOPY®." Using LEGO® Education SPIKE®, students will learn to code their team model to move and respond interactively using sensors, all while exploring this year's theme of biodiversity. Working together to solve hands-on engineering challenges and build creative LEGO® models, students will develop habits of learning, confidence, and collaboration along the way. They will think and act like designers and engineers — learning to observe, question, gather information, and think critically about the world around them. At the end of the program, on January 24, students and their families will then celebrate their learning at the Farmington Valley Expo, hosted by the Farmington Robotics team. At this Expo, students will be able to show off their Lego builds and learning to their families, experience activities that delve further on their learning about biodiversity, and check out what awaits them at the middle school and high school levels for robotics! Parent Coaches Needed! This program cannot run without Parent Coaches, and we would love to have you involved! If you are interested in coaching a team, please contact FIRST LEGO League Program Manager Tuhan Nguyen at nguyent@fpsct.org or Enrichment Supervisor Aakash Terra at terraL@fpsct.org for more information. Coaches will work with a team of up to eight children, including their own. The program is run in partnership with the Farmington High School Robotics team, and each coach will be supported by a student mentor throughout the entire season. Coaches serve as the responsible adult in the room and are welcome to be as hands-on or hands-off with the actual instruction as they choose — a weekly curriculum guide will be provided, and student mentors are fully prepared to lead the teaching. The program manager will also be present at all meetings to provide support and supervision. The course fee includes all required supplies.