Cheers & Kudos: Jedi Engineers return from World Festival

Eagle Valley Middle School’s FIRST LEGO League team, The Jedi Engineers, have returned from the FIRST World Festival Championships. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a not-for-profit organization founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, inspires young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. This four-day event brought over 15,000 students from 33 countries together to test their innovation, problem-solving, communication, team work and robotic skills. This event was attended by over 30,000 people and was located in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Discovery Green and Minute Maid Park.

The FIRST World Festival Championships had over 700 teams participating over the four levels of completion: FLL Jr., FLL, FTC and FRC. The Jedi Engineers competed at the FLL level of the first competition and earned the Third Place Core Values Teamwork award. There were 108 teams competing at this level. In the United States this level encompasses students from ages 9-14, in other countries this level is expanded to include students through 16 years of age.

The Jedi Engineers have continued to make this a historic season as they are the first Northern Nevada team to win an award at the World Championship level of FIRST. These students earned the distinction of being the Northern Nevada champions in January. Their next stop is an International Championship that they have been invited to this June.

The Jedi Engineers are continuing their fundraising efforts which include a yard sale at Eagle Valley Middle School on May 6. Yard sale donations are being accepted at EVMS through the morning of the event. A car wash will be held May 13, location to be announced on the Facebook page. Monetary donations can be sent to Eagle Valley Middle School, with LEGO Robotics team noted in the memo, or to their Go Fund Me Page, https://www.gofundme.com/lego-team-to-world-championship.

For information on how you can help, email lstockekoop@carson.k12.nv.us, or check out their Facebook page, The Jedi Engineers FLL Team 8996, or the team’s blog at https://jediengineers.wordpress.com/.

The Jedi Engineers are grateful for all of the community support they have received. The generosity of our businesses and neighbors has made this achievement by these young innovators possible.

Lisa Stocke-Koop and The Jedi Engineers

Carson City