FLL Team Meeting QuickStarts

FIRST LEGO League Challenge teams might be experiencing delays in receiving their field. If you are in this boat and are wondering how to coach without being able to practice on this season’s BIOGLOW™ field, here are some suggestions about what your team can work on that will help them be prepared for when the field does arrive.

Season Overview: Get a good idea of where you are headed and what will need to be done. This Season Overview document (see Support Resources) and these videos will help with that. Welcome to the BIOGLOW Season, BIOGLOW Robot Game Missions Video, Prepare for your Event

Core Values: Implement the FIRST Core Values from Day 1 with your team. You can find those in nearly every FIRST LEGO League publication. Teamwork games and team building exercises at every team meeting pay big dividends down the road. Teams with one strong member that “does it all” don’t typically advance; judges are looking for teams where everyone is involved. Take a look at the judging rubrics- you really do want everyone to be part of all the components of FLL. Instill that right away. It will give everyone a better experience and be a lot more fun.

Innovation Project: Deep dive into some background research about a problem that puts biodiversity at risk. Use the Project Sparks to help 'spark' some inspiration, or encourage the team to identify a local problem and conduct research. FLL Tutorials can be really helpful here as well. Check out these YouTube videos to give you a roadmap: FLL BioGlow Innovation Project Map video and FLL BioGlow Web of Life- Biodiversity

Robot Design: The team can think about what features they want for their robot. Think about the robot game missions you might want to tackle, research about robot design in FLL Tutorials, and check out potential designs in the Spike Prime software, FLL Tutorials, Prime Lessons, and any other potential sources you find. Your team can choose or create a robot design and build your team’s robot without waiting for your Challenge set to arrive.

Programming the robot: Teach your robot new tricks and learn programming techniques that might help achieve your missions. The Spike Prime software has lessons built into the Competition Ready Unit. Prime Lessons is also a good tool for learning to code basics through highly sophisticated coding. How will your robot find its way around the field? Don’t shy away from using sensors and other ways for it to keep itself on track!

Mission Strategy: Using the Robot Game Rulebook, the mission video, and resources like FLL Tutorials, how can the team create a basic gameplan for their missions? Draw options out using FLL Tutorial’s Sketch Planner to map your route if that is helpful.

FLL Explore teams: Your situation is similar, but less tied to the game elements. Check out your Season Overview document (see Support Resources) and the season welcome video. Welcome to the BIOGLOW Season. Have your kids try out different builds in the various units in the Spike app and look at the Team Meeting Guide and accompanying Engineering Notebook to work toward deciding on a problem for the kids to focus their research, team model, and poster on. You have plenty to do before your Explore kit arrives.

Have fun, check out our Office Hours (info detailed below), and be sure to let us know if you could use a hand with anything at all. Thanks! 

2026-2027 Season Schedule

Championship and Qualifier dates are getting finalized. The calendar is updated with current events.

Complete Youth Protection and Register Your Team Members

FIRST in Alaska Office Hours

Monday: 12:00pm-1:00pm

Thursday: 3:00pm-5:00pm

Coaches, mentors, volunteers, or anyone interested in FIRST is welcome to attend Office Hours.

Alyson, Ellie, or McKenna will be available on Zoom.

Topics can include (but are not limited to):

• Robot troubleshooting
• Resources
• Team Registration
• Tournament preparation

If you are unable to make it during office hours, please email muhing@jedc.org and schedule an appointment.

FIRST in Alaska Office Hours

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88089650313

Meeting ID: 880 8965 0313

Passcode: 472253

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Go to the website raffle page to request tickets for your team to sell. Half of your team's total sales will go back to the team. Check out the raffle prizes, thanks to Alaska Airlines, Royal Carribean Group, and Alaska 529.

1. Create a FIRST account

Register at https://my.firstinspires.org/AccountManager/Account/Register

2. Create a New Team

3. Purchase season registration and season materials in FIRST Storefront>Shop

Contact acooper@jedc.org if you have any issues with purchasing

4. FIRST in Alaska will send information once event registration is live

FIRST Tech Challenge Leadership Awards

Mentors and coaches can nominate 10th or 11th grade students on their team for the FIRST Leadership Award. Criteria for nomination includes students excelling in leadership, entrepreneurship, and dedication to advancing the mission of FIRST within their communities.

FIRST in Alaska Deadline for Nomination: December 1, 2026.

Edits to Nominations are allowed until December 15, 2026.

Mentors/coaches must review the FIRST Leadership Award Nomination Guide prior to making their Leadership Award nomination.

Nominations are submitted using the Team Registration System on the FIRST Dashboard.

FIRST LEGO League Challenge Resource Page

New Resource page for FIRST LEGO League Challenge

https://www.jedc.org/firstinalaska/fll-challenge-resources/

 Including:

• Season Materials
• SPIKE Software
• Blogs
• Programming Resources
• Coach and Team Resources
• Youtube Channels

2027/28 FIRST K-8 Season is under development. Here are key updates from FIRST:

• FIRST is researching and designing a new game
• For grades 3 and up, teams of up to ten students play a fully autonomous game
• The same field tables work for next season
• There will be a new robot, new coding, and new build system.
• Sign up for updates on the FIRST® K-8 Programs: 2027 and Beyond Blog

The 2026-2027 FIRST® LEGO® League Season is the final season FIRST® is partnered with LEGO® Education. For more details, please refer to FIRST & LEGO Education Partnership Update.

How does this affect the 2026-2027 FIRST® LEGO® League BIOGLOW™ season? 

• Alaska tournaments will play using FOUNDERS EDITION. This is the FLL we have been playing for decades. For FLL Challenge, you can use Spike Prime (or your trusty old EV3, NXT or RCX if you still have one that runs.) FLL Explore was designed for your Spike Essential or WeDo. Same as our prior seasons.
  • • If you choose to register for FUTURE Edition, you will need to buy a CS & AI robot (or two, if you are FLL Challenge) and we will support some sort of celebration for you, separate or as part of our Founders tournament. PLEASE NOTE THAT FIRST WILL NOT BE USING THE CS&AI ROBOT AFTER THE 2026-27 SEASON. 
• LEGO Education has discontinued sales of the Spike Prime and Spike Essential robots as of June 30, 2026. They will continue to support it until 2031 with software updates, etc. We can use the Spike Prime or Spike Essential robots through the 2028-29 FIRST® season. 
  • • If you do not have a Spike, EV3, or WeDo robot for the season, contact Alyson at acooper@jedc.org and we will help you find a way to play this season.

2027-2028 and beyond:  

• FIRST is creating a new K-8 STEM program that builds on the Core Values and incorporate everything it has learned running FIRST LEGO League for the past 28 years. It is using input from the field about how to create the optimal experience for kids and volunteers. Read more at FIRST® K-8 Programs: 2027 and Beyond.
• Be sure you are registered as Lead Coach 1 or Lead Coach 2 for an FLL team to receive Team Blasts, or you can sign up for Team Blasts at: https://www.firstinspires.org/resources/library/fll/email-blast-archive.  

Keep an eye out for future updates, and email Alyson at acooper@jedc.org if you have any questions.

Update to the Lucky Leaves Mission. These updates overrule the Robot Game Book. Notify your teams of these changes to successfully complete this mission.

• Register for BIOGLOW™ Founders Edition.
• 2026-2027 BIOGLOW™ Season Materials are available for Explore and Challenge teams.

The 2026/2027 BIOBUZZ™ Game has begun!

• 2026-2027 BIOBUZZ™ Game and Season Materials
  • Competition Manual
  • Updates
  • BIOBUZZ game video
• Read posts for guidance and inspiration for the season on the FIRST® Tech Challenge Blog.