B-P FIRST LEGO League teams shine at Ballston Spa tournament

On Saturday, Jan. 28, the Broadalbin-Perth FIRST LEGO League (FLL) teams took part in their first in-person event since 2019 at Ballston Spa. Three teams participated, and the B-P Builders, a team made up of seventh graders, won the Core Values Award, which recognized their teamwork, respect, and extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit.

B-P alumna Emily Mickan ‘22 received the Coach/Mentor Award after being nominated by the district’s fourth-grade team, Chicken Nuggets. A former member of the district’s FIRST Tech Challenge team, the Nut Jobs, Mickan has been mentoring both the Chicken Nuggets and the B-P Builders throughout the year.

FLL challenges teams of students to use LEGO bricks to build and program a small robot to help them solve given problems. Students must also give a presentation that connects to the annual theme; this year’s theme was energy and power. During competitions, each team is allowed up to three programming runs with their robot and must complete the programming runs and presentation in front of a panel of judges within a 30-minute time limit.

All three teams competed in the Challenge division of FLL, which includes students ages 9 and older. According to its website, firstlegoleague.org, FLL inspires young people to experiment and grow their confidence, critical thinking, and design skills through hands-on learning.

Although Broadalbin-Perth does not currently have a FIRST Tech Challenge team, the district remains involved in the program, which is geared toward high school students. On Sunday, Jan. 29, the district hosted 27 teams at the New York Excelsior FIRST Tech Challenge Qualifier at B-P Jr./Sr. High School.