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Local Children Apply Research and Robotics to Explore Food Safety with the FIRST LEGO® League "Food Factor®" Challenge
The University of Idaho Extension 4-H System is pleased to partner with FIRST to conduct the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Program throughout Idaho. In the FLL program, youth ages 9-14 work together in teams on an annual challenge. The teams then attend a tournament to celebrate, share, and compete with other teams. FLL is a worldwide program and in Idaho this year there are151 FLL teams that will be competing in 11 qualifying tournaments. Some of the teams from each of the qualifying tournaments will advance to the State FLL Championship Tournament 12/19/11 at the University of Idaho in Moscow. And, this year, the team winning the Idaho State FLL Championship will receive an invitation to attend the FIRST World Festival, April 25-28, 2012 in St. Louis, MO.
Area children, ages 9 to 14, are among the record 171,000 children around the world who have risen to the 2011 FIRST LEGO® League (FLL) "Food Factor®" Challenge. To successfully complete the Challenge, teams of young people must conduct research and build and program a LEGO® MINDSTORMS robot to explore the ways in which food can become contaminated – from exposure to insects and creatures, to unsterile processing and transportation, to unsanitary preparation and unsafe storage – and then propose real-world solutions for preventing or combating these contaminates. Through hands-on experience and working in teams, children have a chance to explore a real-world issue to gain an appreciation for and interest in science and technology.
With missions including pollution reversal, pest control and food storage and preparation, teams will have to program their LEGO MINDSTORMS® robots to explore the growing questions around how to safely get food from its source to consumption.
WHEN: Saturday, November 19, 2011, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM
WHERE: ISU, Pond Student Union Building
The robot game is free and open to the general public beginning at 12:00 noon in the Student Union Building Ballroom.
This weekend's Pocatello FLL Qualifying Tournament is being sponsored by the Energy Systems Technology and Education Center at ISU.
"Food Factor" was developed with the input of food safety and protection experts to provide a practical and realistic challenge project and robot missions. This year's Challenge Advisory Team included:
- Morgan Hennessey, Assistant Director, National Center for Food Safety and Defense - University of Minnesota
- Ryan Larocque, Engineer, Water Purification Project - DEKA
- Dr. Aaron Margolin, Professor of Microbiology, Department of Molecular, Cellular & Biomedical Sciences – University of New Hampshire
- Suzanne Tortorell, Group Manager, Microbiology - Campbell Soup Company
- Dr. Catherine Violette, Professor and Specialist, Food and Nutrition – University of New Hampshire
The FLL competition is judged in four areas: project presentation; robot performance; technical design and programming of the robot; and teamwork, with a consideration of the FLL Core Values. The highest honor will go to the team that best exemplifies the spirit and values of the program.
"There is no shortage of creativity among FIRST LEGO® League teams, but plenty of room for improvement in how we handle and prepare our food, "said FIRST Founder Dean Kamen. "I can't wait to see what these bright minds come up with. Food Factor should bring some new and interesting ideas to the table."
FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is an international program for 9 to 14 year-old children (9 to 16 outside the U.S., Canada and Mexico) created in a partnership between FIRST and The LEGO Group in 1998 to get children excited about science and technology – and teach them valuable employment and life skills. Using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technologies and LEGO Education materials, children work alongside adult mentors to design, build, and program autonomous robots and create an innovative solution to a problem as part of their research project. After eight intense weeks, the competition season culminates at high-energy, sports-like tournaments. Like any other organized "sport," teams also fundraise, create a team identity, and go on field trips.
"FIRST LEGO League provides a fun and engaging experience for children around the world to become innovators and creative problem solvers on a very relevant and real topic," said Jacob Kragh, vice president, LEGO Group. "Using a real-world issue to drive a process where children are in control empowers them with a chance to take what they learn and apply it to their own lives, not only during this challenge, but also to their future adventures and endeavors."
Currently in its thirteenth year, FIRST LEGO League anticipates its biggest season ever, with more than 19,000 teams in more than 60 countries competing in hundreds of Qualifying Tournaments and Championship Tournaments. More than 190,000 children will compete to win honors and recognition. Teams will also have the opportunity to participate at the FIRST LEGO League World Festival, to be held in conjunction with the FIRST Championship, April 25-28, 2012 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. In addition, more than 16,000 6 to 9 year-olds are expected to participate in Junior FIRST LEGO League this season.
The Idaho FLL Program is managed through Idaho ROKS (Robotics Opportunities for K-12 Students), a University of Idaho program designed to promote, support, and manage a K-12 continuum of pre-collegiate programs to educate and inspire youth in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The University of Idaho is the official FIRST Partner responsible for managing the FIRST LEGO League (FLL; ages 9-14) and the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC; ages 14-18) programs in Idaho. See: http://www.uidaho.edu/extension/4h/robotics for more information.
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