About the Program
Our FIRST LEGO League Challenge (formerly FIRST LEGO League) team for ages 9-14 was first established in 2006. We usually have four to six members on our teams. Our core team name, W.A.F.F.L.E.S., is an acronym for “Wild About Family & Friends Learning Engineering & Science” and we think we live up to our name! We organize between two and four teams each year.
In FIRST LEGO League Challenge, a new game and theme is released in August each year. Teams are presented with a real-world problem and a 4’x8′ “field table” with a variety of interactive LEGO models representing missions that relate to the season’s theme. Teams design, build, and program a LEGO SPIKE Prime robot to complete as many missions as possible in a short 2.5 minute period. They also research the theme for the season to develop an innovative solution to the real-world problem and prepare a presentation to share with a panel of judges at the Festival-Qualifier.
As much as teams are about building, programming, and research, the program encompasses so much more. Teams learn about time-management, teamwork, self-confidence, leadership, and core values such as integrity, good sportsmanship, and sharing with the community.
Contact info@wafflesrobotics.com for more information about joining one of our FIRST LEGO League Challenge Teams!
Program Benefits
- Research a real-world challenges facing today’s scientists
- Build, test and program a LEGO robot of their own design
- Apply real-world math and science concepts
- Develop skills for critical thinking, teamwork, organization, presentation, and much more
- Participate in tournaments with other area teams
- Make friends on the team and work with mentors from our older programs
Season Overview
August
Challenge Release
Each year in August, the new season’s challenge is released with all accompanying rules.
September-November
Regular Meetings
When the school year starts, our teams meet to work on their robots, research presentations, and Core Values.
Mid-November
Regional-Festival
In November, teams attend our Kingston Regional-Festival to compete with their robot, share what they learned, and celebrate the season.
Late-January
Eastern Ontario Provincial Championship
Teams who qualify for the Eastern Provincial Championship (Oshawa, ON) continue meeting regularly and compete at the event in late January. The top team may qualify for the World Festival held in Detroit at the end of April, or another invitational.
Joining Our Teams
Teams
We currently operate the following FIRST LEGO League Challenge teams:
- Team 105
- Team 37641
- Team 45981
- Team 45982
Cost
The registration fee for the FIRST LEGO League Challenge program is $400. Additional fees will be assessed should your team qualify for any competition above the Ontario Provincial level. W.A.F.F.L.E.S. Community Robotics is not-for-profit organization and is volunteer-run; we do our best to make our programs affordable and accessible to everyone!
Payments can be made by e-transfer to info@wafflesrobotics.com or by a cheque made payable to W.A.F.F.L.E.S. Community Robotics (please email us for the mailing address if you use this method).
Meeting Schedule
Teams meet 2-5 times per week with a combination of in person and online meetings. Meetings are scheduled in our public Google calendar, which is visible at the bottom of the webpage and can be added here.
Parental Involvement
The W.A.F.F.L.E.S. is volunteer-led, and because of this we require parents to be involved with their child’s team, working alongside our volunteer mentors. There are many ways that parents can help our the team – if you’re unsure, let us know!
Team Communications
All of our programs communicate using a platform called Slack, which is commonly used in workplaces. Parents will receive an invitation to join Slack upon registration so that we can effectively send reminders and communicate about team meetings and events.
