SBPLI FIRST Lego League

Contact: John Zaher, PRMG

(631) 297-8592
Janet Anderson, SBPLI-LI FIRST

(631) 366-0749

January 24, 2007

Teams Solve Real-World Problems through Robot Design and Research at
SBPLI - LI FIRST LEGO League Championship Tournament

Long Island Teams Receive Numerous Awards

(Melville, New York) – Some 35 teams from Long Island elementary and middle schools got to demonstrate problem-solving skills, creative thinking, teamwork, competitive play, and sportsmanship at this year’s SBPLI - LI FIRST LEGO League Tournament that took place Jan. 21 at Longwood High School in Middle Island.

Sponsored by Batelle and Brookhaven National Laboratory, this year’s challenge called for teams to research and present their own creative applications of nanotechnology to improve people’s lives. The FLL competition is judged in four areas: project presentation; robot performance; technical design and programming of the robot; and teamwork.

The following teams received these awards:
* Champion’s Award: “The NERDS,” New Hampshire Robotics Institute, Windham, NH
* Brookhaven National Laboratory Technology Transfer Award: Long Island Robotics Club, Plainview, NY (parent-led team)
* Judges’ Award: “Tiny Tech,” Longwood Junior High School, Middle Island, NY
* Rising Star Award: “The Spartans,” Longwood Junior High School, Middle Island, NY
* Teamwork Award, First Place: “The Procrastinators,” Plainview, NY (parent-led team)
* Teamwork Award, Second Place: “Chiron,” Riverhead, NY (parent-led team)
* Robot Design Award, First Place: “The Robo Phantoms,” James Wilson Young Middle School, Bayport/Blue Point, NY
* Robot Design Award, Second Place: “The MS Colts,” Mount Sinai Middle School, Mount Sinai, NY
* Research Project Award, First Place: “The Congobots,” Port Washington, NY (parent-led team)
* Research Project Award, Second Place: “The Quogue Riptides,” Quogue, NY (parent-led team)
* Robot Performance Award, First Place: “The NERDS,” New Hampshire Robotics Institute, Windham, NH
* Robot Performance Award, Second Place: “The BrookerBots,” The Stony Brook School, Stony Brook, NY
* Outstanding Volunteer Award: Debbie Lang, technology teacher, Longwood High School and Middle School.

Each participant received a medallion to commemorate his/her experience and dedication to the eight-week process.

Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was created to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. FLL is an international program created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 based on their common belief that fun and learning go hand-in-hand, and that an inspired mind can accomplish anything. Each September, FIRST announces the annual Challenge to teams, engaging them in authentic scientific research and hands-on robotics design. Using LEGO MINDSTORMS® bricks, motors, gears and software, children work alongside adult mentors to design, build, and program robots to solve real-world challenges. This year, teams have the option to use LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT, the next generation robotics toolset launched in August. With new and improved technologies and programming software, NXT will take FIRST LEGO League challenges to new levels in years to come.

FIRST collaborated with the University of Notre Dame’s Center for Nano Science & Technology and the Cornell University Nanobiotechnology Center to help shape a theme and challenge missions that reflect the amazing solutions this newest frontier of science and technology can make possible. They include manipulation of individual atoms, clothes that never get dirty, an elevator to outer space, and cures for disease. “Every FIRST LEGO League challenge helps students discover how imagination and creativity combined with science and technology can solve real-world problems,” says Dean Kamen, FIRST founder. “This year’s focus on nanotechnology introduces them to a new frontier of science and technology."

For more information on the 2007 competition please call (631) 366-0749.

About FIRST
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering. With the support of many of the world’s most well known companies, the non-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition for high school students and the FIRST LEGO League for children 9 -14 years old. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

About the School-Business Partnerships of Long Island

The SBPLI-LIFIRST LEGO League Tournament is coordinated by the School-Business Partnerships of Long Island (SBPLI). SBPLI was founded in 1984 by Fred Breithut with the goal of developing partnerships between local high schools and businesses that would provide students with practical experience and curriculum development, while helping the business community develop its future workforce. Over 70 partnerships have been formed. In 1999, SBPLI brought the SBPLI-LI FIRST Robotics Competition to Long Island, which has grown to 36 teams of high school students participating at Hofstra University on March 23-25, 2006. This is the second year in which SBPLI is coordinating the FIRST LEGO League event on Long Island. For more information about SBPLI visit www.sbpli-lifirst.org.

###