My daughter began Lego League in the fall of her first year of school-Kindergarten. She was admittedly nervous at first but quickly was able to integrate and socialize with her peers. The opportunities presented for creative play allowed her to warm up and presented moments of interaction in which the children got to know each other. Each week the children were presented with age-appropriate challenges that began to engage the skills of teamwork, problem solving, taking turns, and creativity- it was awesome to watch them approach solutions collaboratively. Joining First Lego League through the Innovation Station has been a positive opportunity for our family, and we have loved watching our child succeed in an area where she is learning AND having fun! 

Erica G., Parent

My experience with FIRST has been incredible. I have been participating in FIRST since I was in 3rd grade, beginning with FLL. Legos have always been something I enjoyed, and getting to use them in a competitive environment was so much fun. Furthermore, developing a solution to a problem, as well as presenting that solution was an excellent learning experience.  After aging out of FLL, I moved on to FTC. FTC gave me the opportunity to truly experience engineering. Working with a team and preparing a robot for a competition was an experience like no other, and I loved every minute of it. It is because of my experiences in FIRST that I’ve chosen to pursue a career in robotics, I’m currently attending RPI, working towards a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering, and volunteer at the Innovation Station mentoring the FTC team. FIRST has had a dramatic impact on my life, and without it, I would not be who I am today.  

Will R., FIRST Alum, Mentor Innovation Station

The Innovation Station has been an amazing resource for my family. My middle school aged children were really excited to join an FLL team, and the IS gave them the opportunity at a cost that was affordable. My eldest child saw how much fun her younger siblings were having, so she joined the high school FTC team. All of my kids have learned and honed skills in regard to critical thinking, engineering, problem-solving, and coding, but also soft skills such as patience, perseverance, and diligence. The founders of the IS are incredible people with a deep love for the work they do. I cannot recommend the Ravena Innovation Station enough.  

Celia R., Parent

My daughter has a strong love of science and participating in activities at the Innovation Station has allowed this to flourish.  She constantly talks about her team meetings and is looking forward to the next as soon as one is done!  We are forever grateful for this one of a kind opportunity provided to the kids in this area.

Amanda B., Parent

Ryan has been in First Lego League for several years.  The experience has been a wonderful and fun opportunity to develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, along with public speaking skills.  Ryan has enjoyed learning to program and run robots, while working as part of a team.  First Lego League has helped Ryan grow more confident and has kept him interested in learning and discovering.   

Suzanne K., Parent

Being a part of FIRST has been one of the best things to ever happen to me. When I first started in fourth grade as a part of FIRST LEGO League, I learned the basics; public speaking, problem solving and analyzing risk. Not only have those skills improved over the past eight years of participation, they have also been able to help me in school and life in general.  I am confident in my ability to speak to a large audience; I can come up with creative solutions to everyday problems and I am able to realize when a risk is worth it in addition to working well under pressure. These skills will be helping me now and in the future as I proceed from high school into college and eventually the workforce.  

Elizabeth R., Student