Who is it for?

FIRST LEGO League Challenge is designed for students aged 9 to 15. It’s the ideal program for young people who are ready to take a deeper dive into real-world STEM challenges, team collaboration, and robotic innovation. 

Perfect for upper primary and lower secondary school classes, afterschool groups, or youth clubs.

What’s it all about? 

Each season, teams of up to 10 students research a real-world problem based on the season’s theme and develop an innovative solution. At the same time, they design, build, and program an autonomous LEGO robot to complete a series of missions on a themed Challenge Mat. 

The program culminates in a regional tournament or event, where teams present their project, demonstrate their robot’s capabilities, and most of all — celebrate what they’ve learned.

The Engineering Design Process

Throughout the season, teams follow the Engineering Design Process as they: 

• Identify a relevant problem within the season theme
• Research and learn from real-world examples
• Design an innovative solution
• Build and program a LEGO robot using SPIKE™ Prime or MINDSTORMS® EV3
• Test and improve both robot and solution
• Communicate their work to judges, peers, and the public 

They learn to solve problems like real engineers - through iteration, collaboration, and creativity.

The FIRST Core Values

Everything teams do is guided by the FIRST Core Values:

• Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas.
• Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.
• Impact: We apply what we learn to improve our world.
• Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.
• Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.
• Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do! 

These values are as important as the robot or the project — and they’re part of what makes FIRST so unique.

What do you need to participate?

To run a successful Challenge team, you’ll need:

• A team of up to 10 students and 2 adult coaches
• A LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime or MINDSTORMS EV3 robot set
• The official Challenge Set (seasonal robot game mat and LEGO mission models)
• A competition table for the Robot Game field (optional)
• A meeting space and weekly time to build, program, and prepare A strong dose of curiosity, commitment, and teamwork!

Support for Coaches

FIRST LEGO League makes it easy for new and experienced coaches with:

• A Coach Guide with weekly plans and tips
• A Team Meeting Guide with age-appropriate activities
• Engineering notebooks to track progress
• Access to online resources, community forums, and training 

You don’t need to be a robotics expert — just a mentor ready to support and inspire your team.