About+FIRST

" to create a world where science and technology are celebrated ... where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes." --Dean Kamen, Founder, //FIRST//

=FIRST= //FIRST// (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people's interest and participation in scieence and technology.

In 1998, //FIRST// Founder Dean Kamen and The LEGO Group's Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen joined forces to create //FIRST// LEGO League (FLL), a powerful program that engages younger children in playful and meaningful learning while helping them to discover the fun in science and technology through the FIRST experience.

As of 2005, children in 31 countries are active in FLL. We are thrilled to have teams in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Israel, italy, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, The Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Singapore, South Afrtica, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Dean and Kjeld have a shared belief that when FLL teams research, build, and experiment, they live the entire process of creating ideas, solving problems, and overcoming obstacles, while gaining confidence in their abilities to positively use technology.

Source: //FIRST// LEGO League Coaches' Handbook, 2006; page 2

=CORE VALUES= We are a team. We do the work to find the solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors. We honor the spirit of friendly competition. What we discover is more important than what we win. We share our experiences with others. We display gracious professionalism in everything we do. We have fun.