Southwest Virginia Regional LEGO Tournament Hosted by the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center

The Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center is hosting the Southwest Virginia First LEGO® League (FLL) Regional Tournament on Saturday, November 15, 2014 beginning at 9:00 AM and ending around 5:00 PM. The general public is invited to attend and admission to the event is free.

First LEGO® League is a result of an exciting alliance between FIRST and the LEGO Company. FLL introduces young people, ages 9-14, to the fun and excitement of science and technology while building self-confidence, knowledge and life skills. FLL challenges kids to think like scientists and engineers. Alongside adult mentors, FLL teams solve problems using engineering concepts, presentation techniques and robots. The goals of the Southwest Virginia Robotics League are to introduce and support a robotics based, informal educational program that creates excitement about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

In the 2014 FLL WORLD CLASS℠ Challenge, over 230,000 children ages 9 to 14 from over 70 countries will redesign how we gather knowledge and skills in the 21st century. Teams will teach
adults about the ways that kids need and want to learn. Get ready for a whole new class—FLL WORLD CLASSSM! The challenge consists of three parts including the Robot Game, the Project, and the Core Values.

Modest investments now can change young students’ education and career paths. Together, we can inspire tomorrow’s scientists and engineers, and improve students’ life skills to better prepare them for today’s high tech workplaces. The vision and goals of the Southwest Virginia Robotics League are to:

 Inspire more students to become engineers, scientists, and technicians.
 Introduce and support a robotics based, informal education program that creates excitement about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Each team has obtained separate sponsorships from individuals, organizations, and businesses. Sponsorships and general volunteering opportunities are still available.

Organizations or individuals interested in sponsorship or volunteer opportunities are encouraged to contact Debbie Hensley at dhensley@swcenter.edu or (276) 619-4368 or Nicky Rahley at nrahley@swcenter.edu or (276) 619-4362. Additional information may be obtained by visiting the website at www.swcenter.edu.