On October 30, the FIRST Robotics Program for students in grades K-12, gave a demonstration of their competition robots to area engineers and builders at Moraine Park Technical College’s beautiful new conference center in Fond du Lac.  Mark Holschuh, a long-time mentor of the program and Mechanical Team Mentor for FIRST FRC 2194, gave a fantastic overview of the expansive program.  There are several levels of FIRST with opportunities for all age groups!

• FIRST LEGO League Discover – PreK- Grade 1:
  For children ages 4-6, this playful introductory STEM program builds learning habits with hands-on activities using LEGO^® Duplo bricks.
• FIRST LEGO League Explore – Grades 2-4:
  In Explore, teams of students ages 6-10 focus on the fundamentals of engineering as they explore real-world problems, learn to design and code and create unique solutions made with LEGO bricks and powered by a LEGO Education robot.
• FIRST LEGO League Challenge – Grades 4-8:
  In Challenge, teams of 3-10 students engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering – building and programming a LEGO robot that navigates the missions of a robot game. As part of Challenge, teams also participate in a research project to identify and solve a relevant real-world problem.  Teams at this level start competing with other teams at local competitions and can qualify for the World Championship.
• In FIRST Tech Challenge teams (up to 15 team members, grades 7-12) are challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in a head-to-head challenge in a 2 vs 2 alliance format.  Guided by adult coaches and mentors, students develop STEM skills and practice engineering principles.
• FIRST Robotics Competition combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. High-school student participants call it “the hardest fun you’ll ever have.”  Under strict rules, limited time and resources, teams of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team “brand,” hone teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors in a 3 vs 3 alliance format. It’s as close to real-world engineering as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team.

Robotics is a huge component of our area manufacturing environment, and students gaining exposure to this and being able to compete in this arena will have a bright future in many job sectors in Fond du Lac County. For an interesting look at the impact manufacturing has in Fond du Lac County, click here.   If you would like more information on the First programs, you can reach out to Mark Holschuh at [email protected].