LigerBots host FLL Qualifier and STEAM Expo

Newton’s dual-high-school robotics team, the LigerBots, hosted the Massachusetts-East FIRST LEGO League (FLL) tournament at Newton North High School on December 14. This was a FIRST tournament (as in FIRST LEGO League) for the LigerBots, but not their first. The LigerBots have hosted at least seven FIRST LEGO League Qualifier tournaments since 2016 (excluding pandemic years 2020-21).

Each FLL tournament brings together a few dozen teams of students in Grades 4-8, and this year 48 teams competed from across Eastern Massachusetts. This was the first year that no Newton-based teams entered. By the end of the tournament, three teams earned the opportunity to move on to the FIRST Championship in April, held in Houston, TX: The Goofy Gyros from Ashland came in first place, the Ducky Duo from Duxbury came in second, and the Green Gear Ticks from Lincoln placed third. 

LigerBots coach Igor Tepermeister won the Volunteer award, and Goofy Gyros coach Ganesh Iyer won the Mentor award. 

Alongside the tournament, the LigerBots hosted a free STEAM Expo, open to the public and highlighting Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. In the Expo, 26 local organizations, student clubs, and FIRST teams — including many from Newton — offered free, hands-on STEAM activities for children. A scavenger-hunt list encouraged kids to try a variety of activities. An estimated 700 people attended the tournament and STEAM Expo.

The LigerBots contributed essential reporting for this article.