KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - While at the 2004 Florida Regional FIRST competition, held at the University of Central Florida, Center Director Jim Kennedy talks to participants in the FIRST LEGO™ League (FLL). Considered the "little league" of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, FLL is the result of a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO™ Company. FLL extends the FIRST concept of inspiring and celebrating science and technology to children aged 9 through 14, using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. Young participants can build a robot and compete in a friendly, FIRST-style robotics event specially designed for their age group.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - During a break at the 2004 Florida Regional FIRST competition, held at the University of Central Florida, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush joins participants in the FIRST LEGO™ League (FLL). Considered the "little league" of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, FLL is the result of a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO™ Company. FLL extends the FIRST concept of inspiring and celebrating science and technology to children aged 9 through 14, using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. Young participants can build a robot and compete in a friendly, FIRST-style robotics event specially designed for their age group.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - While at the 2004 Florida Regional FIRST competition, held at the University of Central Florida, Center Director Jim Kennedy talks to participants in the FIRST LEGO™ League (FLL). Considered the "little league" of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, FLL is the result of a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO™ Company. FLL extends the FIRST concept of inspiring and celebrating science and technology to children aged 9 through 14, using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. Young participants can build a robot and compete in a friendly, FIRST-style robotics event specially designed for their age group.

Two 2011 Mississippi FIRST LEGO League competitors from Stokes-Beard Magnet Elementary School in Columbus urge their robots on during the annual tournament Dec. 3. The competition attracted more than 1,000 participants and guests to the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg.

Carbon-Carbon Control Surface in heating and loading test configuration

The 2011 Mississippi FIRST LEGO League Championship Tournament attracted more than 1,000 participants and guests to the Lake Terrace Convention Center in Hattiesburg. In partnership with the LEGO Group, registered participants use the MINDSTORMSTM NXT system to build robots prior to each year's annual competition.

Combined Loads Test Fixture with NASP test article installed

FIRST LEGO League participants listen to Aerospace Education Specialist Chris Copelan explain the playing field for 'Nano Quest' during a recent FLL kickoff event at StenniSphere, the visitor center at NASA Stennis Space Center. The kickoff began the 2006 FLL competition season. Eighty-five teachers, mentors, parents and 9- to 14-year-old students from southern and central Mississippi came to SSC to hear the rules for Nano Quest. The challenge requires teams to spend eight weeks building and programming robots from LEGO Mindstorms kits. They'll battle their creations in local and regional competitions. The Dec. 2 competition at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College will involve about 200 students. FIRST LEGO League, considered the 'little league' of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation, and to promote the principles of team play and gracious professionalism. Because NASA advocates robotics and science-technology education, the agency and SSC support FIRST by providing team coaches, mentors and training, as well as competition event judges, referees, audio-visual and other volunteer staff personnel. Two of Mississippi's NASA Explorer Schools, Bay-Waveland Middle and Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, were in attendance. The following schools were also represented: Ocean Springs Middle, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Jackson Preparatory Academy, North Woolmarket Middle, D'Iberville Middle, West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Roseland Park Baptist Academy and Nicholson Elementary, as well as two home-school groups from McComb and Brandon. Gulfport and Picayune Memorial-Pearl River high schools' FIRST Robotics teams conducted robotics demonstrations for the FLL crowd.

Randall Hicks (right), Jacobs Technology's Education Services manager at NASA John C. Stennis Space Center, answers questions about the playing field for FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League's 2007 Challenge, `Power Puzzle.' More than 140 teachers, mentors, parents and students from 15 schools attended the Sept. 15 FLL season kickoff at StenniSphere, the visitor center at SSC. The teams from southern and central Mississippi and Mobile, Ala., who came to SSC heard rules for and asked questions about `Power Puzzle,' and saw robot demonstrations by Gulfport and Picayune high schools' past FIRST Robotics competitions. Using LEGO Mindstorms NXT kits, FLL teams of children ages 9-14 will spend the next three months building and programming robots to perform 'Power Puzzle's' challenge tasks, then pit them in competitions. They also will submit a research project about how energy choices impact the environment and the economy. The season will culminate at the Mississippi Championship Tournament on Dec. 8 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. FLL, considered the `little league' of the FIRST Robotics Competition, partners FIRST and the LEGO Group. Competitions aim to inspire and celebrate science and technology using real-world context and hands-on experimentation. NASA recognizes FIRST activities as an excellent hands-on method to increase student knowledge of science, engineering, technology and mathematics. Schools represented in this year's kickoff were: Madison Avenue Upper Elementary, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' Conehatta Elementary, Hattiesburg's Lillie Burney Elementary, Pearl Upper Elementary, Long Beach Middle, Oktibehha Elementary, d'Iberville Middle, Saucier's West Wortham Middle, Picayune's Nicholson Elementary and Roseland Park Baptist Church Academy, Bay St. Louis' St. Stanislaus College and Mobile's Davidson High, as well as two home-school groups from the Jackson area.