Hi!
We are Lego Legends!
We are an inspired team that is elated to be participating in the FIRST Lego League Challenge STEM program! FIRST is a worldwide educational non-profit organization that has been inspiring young minds for over two decades by developing programs like the Challenge we participate in. The program introduces kids like us to opportunities for hands-on research, creation of innovative solutions, learning the engineering process, master aspects of computer coding, and holistic skill building while growing our confidence by developing our communication and collaboration skills.
Meet the Lego Legends!
We are a team of 6-7th graders from Greenville Middle School ages 11-13 years old. This has been our first year together as a team. We are curious, innovative, and passionate about coding, robotics, and, of course, Legos. We are supported by amazing parent volunteer coaches who dedicate their time to help us learn, reach milestones, and be successful in STEM. Much as we anticipate in the workplace, our team has had to navigate the challenges of creating supportive team dynamics among relative strangers. We are proud of the supportive environment and friendships we have built since August 2024 – the inception of our team. We have been working on this project since August 2024.
Our Achievements:
November 2024: WI Regional Competition - Appleton, WI
Won Innovation Project Award overall
Advanced to Sectionals
• December 2024: WI Sectional Competition - Oak Creek, WI
Advanced to Regionals
• January 2025: WI STATE Championship - Waukesha, WI
Advanced to Nationals
• May 2025: Western Edge Open Invitational National\International – LONG BEACH, CA
o 90 teams from across the Globe compete in a fun-filled 3-day competition
The Dream Came True:
State finalists!
A group of talented and dedicated students from Greenville Middle School recently competed in the Wisconsin Lego Robotics State competition in Waukesha, WI, where they not only showcased their skills but also triumphed against fierce competition. Out of 300 teams that participated in multiple rounds throughout the state, only 10 teams earned a spot in the prestigious Final Nationals. We are proud to announce: WE ARE ONE OF THEM!
About our projects:
About Our Challenge: 'Submerged'
The theme for the 2024 FIRST Challenge is ‘Submerged’. Our team was tasked with planning, building, and coding an autonomous robot to precisely interact with objects on a large, ocean-like table to score points. We also conducted research on a real-world problem in our oceans: Ghost Fishing. It doesn’t end there, we were then challenged to create a real-life solution or improvement to an existing solution to fix the problem. During competitions across the state, the team presented our findings, shared our unique solution and prototype along with an overview of our robot design and the coding we used.
Our Robot and Innovation Project
We are very proud of our robot, which successfully navigates missions through dedicated trial and error coding efforts.
This year, we chose to tackle the issue of ghost fishing and its detrimental impact on the ocean and marine life. Our research led us to develop a compelling solution:
• Ghost Fishing Explained: Ghost fishing results from lost and abandoned fishing gear, such as gill nets, that continue to catch and kill marine life, damage ocean habitats, and enable the spread of invasive species.
• The Scale of the Problem: An estimated 2% of all fishing gear is lost in the ocean each year, amounting to approximately 1,144 mi² of nets or 80 million pounds - almost the size of Rhode Island!
• Efforts to Combat Ghost Fishing: Many non-profits, including the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, are dedicated to removing ghost gear from our oceans and developing solutions to mitigate or stop ghost fishing. Solutions include education, biodegradable nets, RFID tags, sensors, buoys, and more.
• Our Solution: A 3D printed device that attaches to the net and activates when the net disconnects from a boat and drops to a certain water depth, as detected by a depth tag indicator. Once the depth tag has reached a certain water depth, the device then releases CO2 into an airbag which then floats the net to the ocean surface for recovery. The design includes a QR code or BAR tag to identify the net owner, keeping costs lower for less affluent countries. Future enhancements may include adding a light or GPS indicator for easier location by drones or boats.
From Ideas to Innovation: Sunday Innovation Sessions
Stronger Together: Conquering the Robot Run
Winning Our First Race.
From Concept to Creation: Presenting Our Project at Plexus
Building Robots, Building Bonds.
Teamwork in Action: Robotics Challenge Run.
Proud Participants: Lego Legends Crew
Thank you for your support!
We are excited to announce that we are advancing to the FLL Western Edge Open Championship in Long Beach, CA in May 2025 because we won at the Wisconsin FLL State Championship! We need your support to represent Wisconsin. We need to raise $30,000 to cover the registration fee, travel, food and lodging, competition and pit supplies, and team shirts. Thank you for considering supporting these kids and spreading love for math, science, and technology to another generation! Any gift would be appreciated and will support our fundraising mission. We have a variety of sponsorship levels for you with increasing benefit options