<![CDATA[RHODE ISLAND STUDENTS OF THE FUTURE - BLOG - SEASON UPDATES]]>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 22:33:18 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Rhode Island State championship]]>Fri, 19 Jan 2024 22:29:39 GMThttps://www.risf.org/blog---season-updates/rhode-island-state-championshipEast Providence High School will join Rhode Island Students of the Future as hosts of the Rhode Island State Championship for the FIRST LEGO League challenge division. This includes students in grades three to eight. The event is on January 27 - spectators should arrive at noon or after to observe the robot matches. the closing ceremonies and awards are anticipated to be around 3pm. All who enter the gymnasium where the event is held are asked not to eat or drink anything by plain water in this new facility. There will be concessions by the East Providence culinary students in the lobby and tables to enjoy your fare. 
To earn a spot in this state competition the teams of students from throughout the state at a local qualifier held at either Pontaganset High School, Pawtucket Middle School, or Portsmouth Middle School.
Here is the list of teams in random order:
Community team - The Robotic Terriers
Jenks Middle School - Jenks Jaguars
Pontaganset Middle School - Junior Gongoliers
Pontaganset Middle School - Stangerbots
Live and Learn after-school program/ Jamestown - Renewable Raccoons
Ella Risk Elementary School Central Falls - Bracelet Besties
Stony Lane Elementary - Arrr-tists
Barrington Middle School - Tech Titans
Providence Country Day School - Roboknights
St. Mary Academy - Bay View - S.M.A.R.T.
Portsmouth Middle School - Octobots
Lincoln School - ROLINS Team 2
Aquidneck Island Robotics - The Hungry Gamers
Barrington Middle School - Tech Titans
Aquidneck Island Robotics - Hungry Gamers
Community Team - Master cheese
Wheeler School - Roboctopus
Jamestown Schools - Grand Monkey Masters
Portsmouth Middle School - Robotic Rulers
Gordon School - LEGO Laureates
Pontaganset Middle School - Thunderbolts

Students are judged on the robot design and coding, their expression of the FIRST core values, and on an innovation project that changes each season. This year the season is called MASTERPIECE and focuses on innovative ways students can integrate A for ART into STEM. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Creating a STEAM experience.
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​]]><![CDATA[Robotics Students take on the supply chain dilemma with Cargo Connect Challenge.]]>Thu, 03 Feb 2022 16:53:25 GMThttps://www.risf.org/blog---season-updates/robotics-students-take-on-the-supply-chain-dilemma-with-cargo-connect-challenge
.This past weekend teams throughout Rhode Island met virtually with judges to see who had the most innovative solutions for the supply chain dilemma.  This is FIRST LEGO League robotics and the same challenge was addressed in  100 countries throughout the globe this season.
     Local teams from throughout Rhode Island met in the State Championship virtually submitting their innovative solutions and robot designs and core values challenges.  Judges awarded PLANET ROBOTICS a community team the first-place champions award for their excellence in all areas of judging from the high score on the robot table challenge to their core values which is a valued area of the FIRST program.
Planet Robotics innovative solution to the supply chain dilemma is to program drones to assist semi-tractor trailers to back up and park easier. The team of seventh and eight graders learned the programing language Python to make this happen.  They spoke to many professionals in the trucking industry to become the expert on this area of the transportation. They also scored the highest on the robot table game, had a very innovative robot design and code and their core values are on target to compete internationally. This is their third state championship for Rhode Island in as many years and their excellence in all areas of FIRST LEGO League are exceptional. They will move on to compete in the SESI FIRST LEGO League Challenge International Open in, Rio de Janeiro Brazil this August of 2022. We wish this team of STEM inspired students a great experience at this international competition. 
The second-place champion team also excelled in all areas of FIRST LEGO League robotics. The Robotic Terriers are a community team from Cumberland,  who innovated a new form a packaging for transportation.  Robotic Terrier’s solution is an eco-friendly box made with plant food waste (fruit and vegetable peels) along with cushioning made of jute. The Eco-Friendly box will reduce the amount of trees being cut down for packages, and combat the amount of carbon emissions being released just through the transportation of cargo.  
Robotic Terriers had an excellent score on the robot table as well coming in second place and their innovation in designing and coding their robot of LEGO parts was exceptional. They will compete next level at a virtual tournament the Western Edge Open Invitational out of southern California. We wish them well as they experience an international virtual tournament.
There were 16 teams that qualified to participate in the state championship. All teams excelled in various areas. These noted award winners were just exceptional.
Excellence in Core Values: The Islanders, Ella Risk Elementary School – Central Falls
FIRST LEGO League presents this award for Core Values to the team that best demonstrates extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit, inspiration, exceptional partnership, and the utmost respect to its own teammates and in its support and encouragement of fellow teams.

Excellence in Robot Design:  Cargo D2 from a community team from Aquidneck Island Robotics in Newport RI
FIRST LEGO League Judges evaluate mechanical design, innovation, programming effectiveness and team strategies for solving missions to assess overall design quality.
Excellence in Innovative Project:  Red Hot Chilly Preppers, Quest Montessori School in Narragansett
Judges look for teams whose quality research, innovative solutions, community sharing and presentation best reflect an in-depth understanding of the scientific disciplines involved with the Project.  The Red Hot Chilly Preppers worked to develop a solution to waste that happens in transportation of goods. The solution is one that you can easily use in your home as well as for produce travelling the globe. A packet of salt in the box has a significant effect on spoilage. Theirs was sealed in burlap for the air flow to be significant. This low-tech solution is a high reward reaping idea. 

Teams qualifying for State competition:
Cargo Chicken – Martin Middle School, East Providence
 Cargo R  US – Lawn Middle School,  Jamestown
Thunderbolts - Ponaganset Middle School
Live and Learn – Community Team, Jamestown
AIR Strike Omega – Aquidneck Island Robotics, Community Team in Newport
Junior Gongliers - Ponaganset Middle School, Glocester
Strangerbots - Ponaganset Middle School, Glocester
Comic Strike - Aquidneck Island Robotics, Community Team in Newport
   
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]]><![CDATA[FIRST LEGO League Challenge Championship]]>Sun, 11 Apr 2021 15:52:23 GMThttps://www.risf.org/blog---season-updates/first-lego-league-challenge14 teams competed in the FIRST LEGO League Replay Rhode Island state championship in 2021.
Teams submitted video of their project, robot design, robot game, and core values presentation, and then met with judges via zoom on April 7 & 8. 
Celebrate the teams, and watch the awards ceremony on our youtube channel.

Congratulations to all of the teams who participated in the season! 

1st place Champions, 1st place Robot Game, Global Innovation Award nominee:
37524 Planet Robotics, family/community team from North Attleboro, MA
2nd place Champions & 2nd place Robot Game:
9898 Organized Chaos, Aquidneck Island Robotics, Newport
Robot Design Award
50625 Robotic Terriers, family/community team, Cumberland, RI (ROOKIES)
Innovation Project Award
48908 Wolfpack, family/community team, Barrington, RI
Core Values Award
11702 AIR STRIKE Omega, Aquidneck Island Robotics, Newport

Participating Teams
3175 Los Amigos, Martin Middle School, East Providence
3181 The Encryptors, Martin Middle School, East Providence
9898 Organized Chaos, Aquidneck Island Robotics, Newport
11702 AIR STRIKE Omega, Aquidneck Island Robotics, Newport
15945 De La Salle Robotic Rams, La Salle Academy, Providence
33825 The Wireless Robots, Aquidneck Island Robotics, Newport
37524 Planet Robotics, family/community team from North Attleboro, MA
42515 Block by Blok, family/community team, North Smithfield
48311 Stranger Bots, Ponagansett Middle School, North Scituate
483193 Lego Lobsters, Ponagansett Middle School, North Scituate
48711 Mounties, Mt. Saint Charles Academy, Woonsocket
48908 Wolfpack, family/community team, Barrington, RI
50625 Robotic Terriers, family/community team, Cumberland, RI (ROOKIES)
51843 Wompats, family/community team, Rehoboth, MA

]]><![CDATA[FIRST LEGO League Challenge REPLAY Season in RHODE ISLAND]]>Wed, 28 Oct 2020 00:26:01 GMThttps://www.risf.org/blog---season-updates/first-lego-league-challenge-replay-season-in-rhode-islandDue to COVID 19, we have adjusted the FIRST LEGO League Challenge REPLAY season. We will have one tournament, the state championship, which will be held in April 2021. Teams that have paid the FIRST team registration and are in the Rhode Island area are eligible to participate. Thanks to the generosity of National Grid and Textron Charitable Trust, we have waved the Rhode Island Students of the Future team program fee for the 2020-2021 season. 

The Championship will be held in March 2021. Judging sessions will be held virtually the week before the Championship. At this time, we're planning to host the robot game live. Teams and their coaches will have a timed entry to enter the venue, and will be required to wear masks at all times. No spectators will be allowed admission. 

Watch this space for updates! ]]><![CDATA[FIRST LEGO League Divisions]]>Wed, 28 Oct 2020 00:00:03 GMThttps://www.risf.org/blog---season-updates/first-lego-league-divisionsFIRST LEGO League guides youth through STEM learning and exploration at an early age. From Discover (PreK-1), to Explore (Grades 2-4) and then to Challenge (grades 4-8), students will understand the basics of STEM and apply their skills in an exciting competition while gaining productive learning habits, confidence, and teamwork skills along the way.

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For children ages 4-6, FIRST LEGO League Discover is a playful introductory STEM program ignites their natural curiosity and builds their habits of learning with hands-on activities in the classroom and at home using LEGO® DUPLO® bricks. Learn more here.
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 In FIRST LEGO League Explore, teams of students ages 6-10 focus on the fundamentals of engineering as they explore real-world problems, learn to design, and code and create unique solutions made with LEGO bricks and powered by LEGO® Education WeDo 2.0. Learn more here.
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Friendly competition is at the heart of FIRST LEGO League Challenge, as teams of students ages 9-14* engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering - building and programming a LEGO robot that navigates the missions of a robot game. Learn more here.
*ages and grades vary by country; outside the U.S., some students may be as old as 16.
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