Baksteen Valken-American Robotics Tournament

We are Baksteen Valken, FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team 16152 from Oshkosh, WI. FIRST LEGO League Challenge is a global competition where children are immersed in science and technology challenges, tasked to build and program a robot to compete on a playing field and create new ways to solve real-world problems each season. Through our success in the 2023-2024 competitions in Wisconsin, we have qualified to compete at the national American Robotics Tournament in Rutherford, New Jersey on May 18-19, 2024. We're looking for support for team travel to New Jersey, May 17-20.

Who are we?

We are Baksteen Valken, FLL team 16152 from Oshkosh, WI. Our team comprises students in grades 4-8 from ALPs Charter, Perry Tipler, Oakwood, and Carl Traeger Middle and Elementary schools.

What is FIRST LEGO League?

In FIRST LEGO League Challenge, children are immersed in real-world science and technology challenges. In addition to building autonomous LEGO robots to solve a series of missions, teams complete an Innovation Project to design and create solutions to a current scientific question or problem.

The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders by engaging them in exciting mentor-based robotics programs. These programs build STEM skills, inspire innovation, and foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership. 

What have we done?

In the 2023-2024 MASTERPIECE season, which began in August 2023, FLL teams imagined and innovated new ways to create and communicate art and hobbies across the globe. Baksteen Valken’s Innovation Project is A.R.C.H., the Archive and Repository for Continuing Humanity. ARCH is a monument designed to preserve and protect Earth’s languages, knowledge, and biodiversity against future global climate change or catastrophes. The monument contains an underground vault to preserve DNA samples, a digital genome data bank of Earth's biodiversity, and a digital archive of Earth's knowledge, history, arts and science. The monument would be in a national park for visitors to enjoy year-round. You can learn more about our project by visiting our website. https://arch-baksteenvalken.my.canva.site/

In November and December 2023, over 300 FLL teams competed at regional tournaments around Wisconsin, where judges provided valuable feedback on their robot, code, and invention. At the Robot Game table, teams raced against the clock for a personal best score and the chance to advance to the next level, the sectional tournament. Baksteen Valken attended the Janesville regional, where 30 teams competed. Our team had a great day, and we were nominated for the Robot Design Award and were the winners of the Innovation Project Award. The team also placed 2nd in the robot game and we were a runner-up for the Tournament Champion Award. Next, Baksteen Valken attended the Waukesha Sectional on December 16 with 29 other teams, winning a Core Values Award, and earning a nomination for the Champion's Award. The team also placed 3rd overall in the robot game, earning a spot to compete at the Wisconsin State Championship.

The top 26 ranked teams competed at the Wisconsin State Championship on January 21, where Baksteen Valken earned a Robot Design award and placed 4th overall in the robot game, qualifying to compete at the American Robotics Tournament in Rutherford, New Jersey on May 18-19, 2024. This National competition features 52 teams from 41 FLL regions including Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia/DC, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. 

Each team will give a 30-minute presentation to a panel of judges about their innovative research projects, their robot design and programming process, and how the team uses the FIRST Core Values to make a positive impact in FLL and our communities. This unique opportunity will allow our team to collaborate with teams from the US and its territories, learning about other cultures, strengthening our STEM skills, and inspiring our students to explore new ideas.

How can you help?

We are a self-funded team, and are thankful to have received small donations for robotics equipment and 3D printing supplies. However, out-of-state travel is expensive, and a hardship for our families. We're looking for support for team travel to New Jersey, May 17-20, including tournament registration fees, airfare, ground transportation, lodging, team uniforms, and meals. No amount is too small, and every contribution matters! 

Your generosity will make a significant impact on our team’s ability to travel to the American Robotics Tournament, where Baksteen Valken will continue to learn and grow on our FLL MASTERPIECE journey with this experience of a lifetime!