5th grade Hoffman Estates FIRST Lego League team qualifies for State

We Will!, a FIRST® Lego® League (FLL) team made up of fifth-graders from Palatine School District 15, will compete at the State Qualifier on January 16, at Elgin Community College. The first-year team competed against 16 teams in the regional tournament, which was held December 5 at Lincoln Middle School in Mount Prospect.

To compete in FIRST Lego League tournaments, teams of fourth- through eighth-graders must build robots out of LEGOS and program them to accomplish specific maneuvers and tasks related to the year's challenge. This year's theme was "Trash Trek," a challenge to find "Green" solutions for our planet.

FIRST Lego League challenges are comprised of two parts-the robot game and the project. For the robot game, teams build and program an autonomous robot using LEGO EV3 MINDSTORMS technology to score points in two-and-a-half-minute matches on a "Trash Trek" playing field.

For the project portion of the challenge, teams explore an actual problem that today's scientists and engineers are trying to solve, develop an innovative solution to that problem (either by creating something that doesn't exist or building upon something that does), and share their findings. Team We Will! implemented the use of reusable (homemade) utensil kits instead of disposable plastic spork packages for school hot lunches. The savings for landfills and budgets inspired students at three District 15 schools to participate in this student-led program.

The team that does the best in both the robot and project portions of the competition wins the challenge, and challenges are held at the regional, state, and national levels.

Members of team We Will! include fifth graders from Thomas Jefferson school - Hannah Rosen, Jaden Burner, Regina Payne and Rowan Oberle; from Central Road elementary is Marian Krupp; from Whiteley elementary is Gavin Livergood and from Immanuel Lutheran is Ryan Kalopisis. The team was sponsored by Agnes Mroczkowski and Saturn Title in Park Ridge.

The team and its coaches - William Faehse, Camille Burner and Violeta Payne - were mentored by Michelle Trudeau-Labonar a teacher at Meadowdale Elementary. Other mentors include Eric Brents of Central Road and Kathy Cochrane of Frank C. Whiteley. All team members displayed "gracious professionalism" of the highest regards. This trait is one that FIRST Lego League is built upon.