Jan. 30, 2020— Northern Kentucky University will once again host the Kentucky FIRST LEGO League (FLL) state championship on Feb. 1, 2020.
Nearly 500 students from across the Commonwealth will meet in NKU’s Regents Hall to find out if they have what it takes to build the best LEGO-built robot in the state. The joint event includes both the Junior State Expo for ages 6 to 9 and the Kentucky’s Robotics Championships for ages 9 to 14.
The competition includes a two-part challenge based upon a real-world scientific topic. This year’s theme—City Shapers— will challenge teams to create a stronger, more sustainable future by empowering the places we call home to reach new heights. Forty-eight teams of up to 10 members each are expected to participate.
Students will program an autonomous robot to score points on a themed playing field and will develop a solution to a problem they have identified. The competition is guided by FIRST LEGO league core values— discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork and fun.
“Each of the FLL’s core values reflect a mindset we need across STEM disciplines today. That’s what makes this event great. Students of all ages are creatively developing their skills in a fun and empowering way,” said Beth Koch, robotics program coordinator at NKU.
This year’s tournament is supported by a grant from NASA, and additional funding from Duke Energy. It is organized and supported by NKU’s Center for Integrative Natural Science and Mathematics (CINSAM) in the College of Arts and Sciences.
This will be NKU’s sixth-straight year hosting the FLL championships. The event is free and open to the public. Parking is available in the Kenton Drive Garage for $5. For more information, visit cinsam.nku.edu.
About NKU: Founded in 1968, we are a growing metropolitan university of more than 15,000 students served by more than 2,000 faculty and staff on a thriving suburban campus near Cincinnati. Located in the quiet suburb of Highland Heights, Kentucky—just seven miles southeast of Cincinnati—we have become a leader in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky by providing a private school education for a fraction of the cost. While we are one of the fastest growing universities in Kentucky, our professors still know our students' names. For more information, visit nku.edu.
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