Elgin Community College will play host to one of the big club robotics tournaments in the state of Illinois.

FIRST Illinois Robotics will host the Northern Championship tournament for FIRST^® LEGO^® League on Jan. 16 at ECC. The robotics part of the competition will run from noon to 5 p.m.

Why is it such a big deal? Well, 64 robotics teams will be in attendance and the number of spectators usually is over 1,000. Teams from all over the state will compete for the championship title, and a chance to advance to the FIRST LEGO League World Festival, to be held in St. Louis in April 2016.

Teams are made up of 9- through 14-year-old students. The teams earn a spot at the championship tournament by participating in one of 33 qualifying tournaments throughout Illinois during December. In fact, there’s a qualifying tournament going on this weekend at Rotolo Middle School in Batavia, and a Batavia-based club that represents the Fox Valley.

This year’s TRASH TREK Challenge asked children from all over the country to explore the fascinating world of trash and develop innovative solutions to the global trash challenge.

More than 29,000 teams worldwide are participating in the TRASH TREK Challenge. Teams were tasked to research and present their original tools and/or tactics to support people and planet. In the robot-game phase, teams built, tested and programmed an autonomous robot using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT or the EV3 to solve a set of missions which include converting organic material into fertilizer, fixing a car by installing a new engine, demolishing a building and salvaging valuable materials from the debris and more, all while moving through a course of LEGO structures.

The cornerstones of the experience are building skills in STEM and the FLL Core Values that emphasize the contributions of others, friendly competition known as “Gracious Professionalism®,” and community involvement.

For more information, visit the Fox Valley Robotics webpage, the First LEGO League website or email contactfllillinois@gmail.com.

SOURCE: First LEGO League press release