Team #64935, the Blue Axolotls
This is the home page for our FIRST Lego League Challenge team.
What is This?
FIRST Lego League Challenge is designed for students aged 9-16. Teams spend several weeks constructing and programming an autonomous robot, conducting research, and preparing presentations on a chosen topic. The program emphasizes FIRST’s core values and culminates in a regional competition, where teams present their work in categories such as Research, Robot Game, Robot Design, and Core Values.
During this 2024-2025 FIRST season, the season theme is DIVE, with the sub-theme SUBMERGED for FIRST Lego League. Teams will use their STEM and collaboration skills to explore life beneath the surface of the ocean. Along the way, we’ll uncover the potential in each of us to strengthen our community and innovate for a better world with healthy oceans.
Age & Grade Requirements
FIRST Lego League Challenge is open to youth between 4th-8th Grades AND 9-16* years old.
We welcome all abilities, and ask that any special requirements/accomodations are discussed with the coaches prior to joining the team.
We will accept team members on a first come, first served basis and have a maximum of 10 children per team in accordance with FIRST Regulations
Important Dates
- August 6th: Challenge released!
- August 21st, 24th: Open house at our new space!
- August 27, 2024 5-6:30 pm: First Team Practice
- Tuesdays and Thursdays 5-6:30 pm: Team Meetings and Practices
- December 7, 2024 Qualifier Event, Grants Pass, OR
- January 2025: State Championship, Portland, OR
- April 2025: World Championships
Meetings and Practices
Practices/Meetings are 90 minutes long, 2 times per week.
Location is Redwoods Wonder Forge, 245 Price Mall, Crescent City, CA, 95531.
Kids are expected to attend all practices, and need to inform the coaches if they need to miss any.
Parents and siblings are welcome to stay in our designated quiet area, or outside. We have wifi available.
We will use the Remind app to communicate with our team.
Coaches and Mentors
Coach Juan is our Head Coach. He is a software engineer by trade and has coached an FLL-Challenge Team in North Carolina in the past.
Coach Ciri is an Army veteran, veterinary technician, and homeschooling parent for over a decade. She is well versed in organizing, training, and building a values-led team.
We also have two former FLL-C members that will be mentoring the kids as they progress through the season.
All FIRST coaches, mentors, and volunteers must complete an annual background check, and youth protection and safety course prior to activating their FIRST Memberships. Both FIRST and Redwoods Wonder Forge take youth safety and wellness very seriously.
Uniforms and Equipment
No special uniforms or equipment are needed for practice. Comfortable shoes and clothes are recommended, because we will be moving around.
The membership fee also covers the cost of competition team shirts, which the team will design and wear to all qualifiers and competitions.
Costs
It costs approximately $4700.00 to run a team through a FIRST Lego League Season. This includes Registering the teams with both FIRST and with ORTOP (Our Competetion League), purchase of the robot, challenge mat, laptop or tablet for programming and research, materials, supplies, and utilities. Coaches and mentors serve on a volunteer basis. Redwoods Wonder Forge does not have paid staff.
For the August 2024- April 2025 Competition Season, the cost per team member is $400. This works out to about $20 per session.
Options for payment include paying in full, or paying $100/month for the first 4 months.
We accept cash, cards, PayPal, and Zeffy.
Registration For the 2024-2025 SUBMERGED Season
The links below take you to our ticketing pages through Zeffy. Zeffy is an online payment system for nonprofits. They do not charge us processing fees (are also a 501(c)3 nonprofit, and instead ask for donations towards their operations and maintenance. Zeffy is an online payment system for nonprofits. They do not charge us processing fees, and instead ask for donations towards their application.
If you do not want to donate, scroll down to “other” then put in $0.00.
We do not have a choice whether to include that option, but you are NOT obligated to pay more than your invoiced amount.
To Register for FLL-C and pay in full, click here.
To Register for FLL-C with the 4 equal payments option, click here.
Wonder. Create. Discover.
More than anything else, our aim is to have a fun, safe, and amazing rookie season. We want our inaugural FLL-Challenge team members to have a wonderful time, learning, innovating, and playing with Lego robots!
Questions?