Who:               School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI)

Participating FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League (FLL) teams
Participating Junior FLL teams 

Longwood High School faculty and staff
     

What:              School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (SBPLI), is presenting the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League (FLL) Long Island Championship Tournament and Junior FLL expo. In the tournament, teams will demonstrate their problem-solving skills, creative thinking, teamwork, competitive play, sportsmanship, and sense of community. On February 1-2, Qualifying Tournaments were held at Central Islip High School in which 110 teams competed for an opportunity to advance to this championship tournament.

This year’s challenge is NATURE’S FURY^SM, in which elementary and middle school-aged children will research and present their own creative solutions to one of the largest international issues — natural disasters — which have affected nearly three billion people globally. Children and their coaches will utilize robots to solve a set of natural disaster missions. Some will include positioning an evacuation sign, clearing an airplane’s runway of debris, and developing solutions that could be used in the future. At the end of the tournaments, teams will be presenting their research projects that coincide with the game.

The Championship Tournament will coincide with the Junior FIRST LEGO League (Jr. FLL) Expo, which will take place at the same day and location from 9 a.m. to approximately noon. In the Junior FIRST LEGO League’s DISASTER BLASTER^SM Challenge, children ages 6 to 9 will explore a natural disaster in-depth; research what it takes to prepare for, respond to or recover from that type of disaster; and learn about simple machines as they build a model made of LEGO elements with a motorized moving part and create a team Show-Me Poster to represent their findings.

When:             Sunday, March 2

                        9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Where:            Longwood High School
100 Longwood Road
Middle Island, NY

Directions:     Take interstate I-495 East towards Riverhead to Exit 66 towards Sills Road/East Patchogue/Yaphank. After 0.1 miles, turn left onto East Patchogue Yaphank Road/Sills Road. After 0.7 miles, Continue onto Coram-Yaphank/Yaphank Middle Island Road. After two miles, turn right onto Longwood Road. High school will be on the right-hand side.

Photo Ops:    Representatives from School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. discussing the importance of robotics in STEM-based education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Teams competing with their robots in intense matches. Teams working together to solve natural disaster problems. Junior FLL teams researching natural disasters and constructing LEGO elements with a motorized moving parts. Coaches guiding students throughout the championship tournaments. Family and friends cheering teams on.

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About School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc.

School-Business Partnerships of Long Island, Inc. (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 100 partnerships have been formed. In 1999, SBPLI brought the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition to Long Island, in which eight high school teams participated. Since then, the Long Island Regional FIRST Robotics Competition has grown to 50 teams competing each year. SBPLI also hosts Long Island’s annual FIRST LEGO League Qualifying and Championship Tournaments and the Junior FIRST LEGO League Expo, in which over 1,300 elementary and middle school students from Nassau and Suffolk Counties take part each year. For more information, visit www.sbpli.org.

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 support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $16 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST^®Robotics Competition (FRC^® ) for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST^®Tech Challenge (FTC^®) for Grades 7-12; FIRST^®LEGO^® League (FLL^® ) for Grades 4-8; and Junior FIRST^®LEGO^® League (Jr.FLL^®) for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism^® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more aboutFIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

ABOUT THE LEGO GROUP

The LEGO Group is a privately-held firm based in Billund, Denmark. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities through high-quality, creatively educational play materials, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: “Only the best is good enough.” For more information, visit www.LEGO.com.

FIRST^®, the FIRST^® logo, FIRST^® Robotics Competition, FRC^®, FIRST^® Tech Challenge, FTC^®, and Gracious Professionalism^® are registered trademarks of the United States Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST^®). LEGO^® and MINDSTORMS^® are registered trademarks of the LEGO Group. FIRST^® LEGO^® League, FLL^®, Junior FIRST^® LEGO^® League, Jr. FLL^®, NATURE’S FURY^SM, and DISASTER BLASTER^SM are jointly held trademarks of FIRST and the LEGO Group. ©2013 FIRST and the LEGO Group. All rights reserved.