Girl Scouts of Utah offers FIRST robotics teams to help our girls get
involved in a long-term STEM activity. FIRST includes Lego League
Explore and Lego League Challenge. Half of girls participating in a
Girl Scout FIRST team reported that participating had increased their
interest in science or engineering (GSRI, 2016). Council-sponsored
FIRST teams for the 2020-21 season are forming now. Teams are
available in the following ages:
-
FIRST Lego League Explore - Grades 1-4 (ages 6-10). Girls
build and program a simple machine based on the theme of the year as
well as make a poster about research they have done on that
topic. Teams show their machine and project at an Expo. A team
consists of 2 coaches and 4-6 girls.
-
FIRST Lego League Challenge - Grades 4-8 (ages 9-14). Girls
build and program a Lego robot to perform challenges based on a
theme. Girls also design and share an engineering project based
around the same theme. Teams compete in a regional competition and
may move on to the state tournament. A team consists of two coaches
and 5-10 girls.
If you have a girl who is interested in a FIRST team or you are
interested in coaching a FIRST team, please fill out the interest survey. Teams are formed in late summer
and early fall based on the location and availability of girls and
coaches. Teams run early fall through early winter but may vary based
on level and timing of competitions.
Interested coaches should register for the coaches information session and training on August
11, 2020. Coaches can be any gender but must become a Girl
Scouts of Utah member and pass a background check. Coaches do not need
to have a STEM background to coach, just a willingness to learn. One
coach must be certified in CPR/First Aid.
Interested girls and families are welcome at the FIRST Open House on August 20, 2020. Girls who
join a robotics team must be Girl Scouts of Utah members. The fee for
the season is $15/girl.
Please email questions about FIRST teams to programs@gsutah.org.
Learn more about the FIRST robotics program at FIRST’s Website here.