Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois is fielding twelve Girl Scout Robotics teams that are participating in two FIRST Robotics leagues for the 2024-25 season: FIRST LEGO League Challenge and FIRST Tech Challenge.
FIRST LEGO League Challenge
In FLL Challenge, students in grades 4-8 plan and build an autonomous robot that they program to navigate missions that score points on a gameboard. They also conduct an extensive research project. After several weeks of preparation, teams meet at regional tournaments where they compete using their robots and deliver a research presentation.
Thank you to Bayer Fund for helping make our Girl Scout Robotics Program possible!
GSofSI's Teams:
Block Buster Troop 2138 from Mattoon, coached by Adam Schultz and Sarah Kirkpatrick
Campfire Girls from Edwardsville, coached by Ellen Helmers and Rachel Reynolds
Definitely Humans not Robots from Centralia coached by Gloria Arndt and Trish Mulvaney
Girl Bots from Godfrey, coached by Andi Pace and Amanda Rayfield
Koala Koders from Waterloo, coached by Lori House and Robert Manning
Master Builders from O’Fallon, coached by Heather Lemasters and Autumn Barker
Minecraft Bees from Highland coached by Emily Stanley and Jonathan Stanley
Rising Stars from Belleville, coached by Katie Manno and Kristy Duncan
RobotChix from Highland, coached by Emily Stanley and Jonathan Stanley
Shagbark Superstars from Carbondale, coached by Lynne Weeks and Zhenya Hogsett
FLL Challenge Schedule:
Southern Illinois FLL Challenge Metro East Qualifier
Saturday, December 7 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: Belleville West High School
Southern Illinois FLL Challenge Southeast Qualifier
Saturday, December 14 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: Centralia Middle School
Southern Illinois FLL Challenge Sectional
Saturday, January 18 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: TBD
FLL State Championship
Saturday, February 15
Location: Elgin Community College
FIRST TECH Challenge
In FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), students in grades 7-12 learn to think like engineers. Teams design, build, and code robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams.
GSofSI Teams
Polytechnic Puzzle Pieces from O’Fallon, coached by George Mitchom and Megan Zaiz
Gear Girls from O’Fallon, coached by Nikki Bell and George Mitchom
FTC Schedule
Meet 1
November 16
Location: Marion
Meet 2
December 14
Location: Centralia
Meet 3
January 25
Location: Maryville
FTC Central Southern League Tournament
February 15
Location: Decatur
FTC State Championship
February 28-March 1
Location: Elgin Community College
About Bayer Fund
Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the communities where Bayer customers and employees live and work by providing funding for food and nutrition, education and community development projects. To learn more about Bayer Fund visit https://www.fund.bayer.us.
