The award is given to the team displaying FLL core values to the highest level, including team spirit, gracious professionalism, and cooperation. The STEAM Powered Girls also won a second place award this past December for their research project at the Sara Heinz House regional competition.  Lisa Abel-Palmieri, said: “We are extremely proud of how well our Ellis girls did their rookie year at the Regionals and we were excited to be offered a spot at the Grand Championship at NREC – their dedication, persistence to learn, and enthusiasm for FLL has been honored by the core values award. We could not be any prouder!” Middle School teachers Cara LaRoche and Meenal Patel also coach the team as well as “Girls of Steel” member Naoka Gunawardena '14.

Students assembled and programmed robots with LEGO technology and used them to compete and to accomplish tasks involved in a real-world scenario. This year’s theme was Senior Solutions. In addition to the robot table games, the girls had to interview seniors and do research to determine a problem seniors face in their daily lives. They went on field trips to places like the Human Engineering Research Laboratories in preparation of writing a statement of problem and determining an innovative solution to that problem. The event challenged students in four areas: robot design, research, hardware, and the table competition.

FIRST LEGO League is an international robotics program in partnership with LEGO, and is a key component of the international nonprofit agency known as "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST)," which is dedicated to inspiring students to appreciate the excitement and personal rewards of a career in science and technology.

Congratulations STEAM Powered Girls!