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Team Lifesavers Group photo of team Lifesavers: Back row: Colton Quirk, Danner Tabler, John Covill, Timmy Hosler, Grant Fornstrom. Back row: Liam Falon, Jacob Johnson, Cayce Grant, Zane McClain, Walker Wyckoff. LifeSavers with Senator Barrasso Team LifeSavers poses with Wyoming Senator John Barrasso. The Mobile Musketeers Back Row: Garett Schamber, Gannett Loftus, Tyler Mortisch, Justin Stinson, Taylor Ruckman, Thomas Mack, Guthrie Sturman. Front row: Joe Anspach, Clay Grant, Sawyer Bernard, Carson Mack, Trevor Moritsch.

For the 5th year, Pinedale was represented at the First Lego League (FLL) championships November 30 - December 1st at the Casper Events Center in Casper, Wyoming. Teams were sponsored through grants to the Sublette County 4-H and 4-H Afterschool programs by Shell and Sublette BOCES #1.

Team "Mobility Musketeers," made up of Pinedale Middle and High School students, was awarded the 1st place trophy for Core Values and Inspiration. This award is given to the team that best demonstrates the FLL core values and provides inspiration to all participants with enthusiasm and team spirit. Team members included: Carson Mack, Thomas Mack, Taylor Ruckman, Guthrie Sturman, Joe Anspach, Sawyer Bernard, Clay Grant, Gannett Loftus, Justin Stinson, Garett Schamber, Tyler Moritsch and Trevor Moritsch.

The team practiced from September through the end of November working on their robot design and mission programming and their "Senior Solutions" research project. The team worked with senior citizens in Pinedale to determine what kinds of things are difficult for them and how they could pose a solution. One of the things senior citizens defined as being challenging was grocery shopping. Through surveys they indicated there were some things that would make shopping easier for them. Those included; a large magnifying glass, a large button calculator, and a store directory they could carry with them. Additionally, some seniors indicated a hesitation to use the motorized cart at the local grocery store for fear of bumping into things. The team worked together to purchase some of the items the seniors identified and mapped out Ridley’s Family Market in Pinedale creating a color-coded store directory. They also researched and approached Ridley’s about purchasing some ultrasonic sensors for the motorized cart that would warn a senior before they bumped into something.

Team "LifeSavers" was made up of Colton Quirk, Jacob Johnson, Danner Tabler, John Covill, Cayce Grant, Zane McClain, Walker Wycoff, Liam Falon, Grant Fornstrom and Timmy Hosler, all of Pinedale Elementary School. This team also met from September to the end of November perfecting their robot design and working on their research project, "Senior Problem Solvers." Through surveys with Pinedale senior citizens, this group found that seniors are often in need of assistance with everyday activities. They created a website: www.seniorproblemsolvers.org where seniors and potential volunteers can register and fill out a quick survey on their needs and abilities to volunteer. The team will then work to pair up senior citizens with volunteers in the community that can provide assistance to them as needed.

First Lego Leauge is a robotics program for 9 to 14-year olds, which is designed to get children excited about science and technology -- and teach them valuable employment and life skills. FLL can be used in a classroom setting, but is not solely designed for this purpose. Teams, comprised of up to ten children with at least one adult coach, can also be associated with a pre-existing club or organization, homeschooled, or just be a group of friends who wish to do something awesome.

In 1998, FIRST Founder Dean Kamen and the LEGO Group’s Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen joined forces to create FIRST LEGO League (FLL), a powerful program that engages children in playful and meaningful learning while helping them discover the fun in science and technology through the FIRST experience. Dean and Kjeld have a shared belief that FLL inspires teams to research, build, and experiment, and by doing so, they live the entire process of creating ideas, solving problems, and overcoming obstacles, while gaining confidence in their abilities to positively use technology. "We want to change the culture by celebrating the mind." - Dean Kamen, Founder of FIRST said
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The cornerstone of the FLL program is the FLL Core Values. They are among the fundamental elements that distinguish FLL from other programs of its kind. By embracing the Core Values, participants learn that friendly competition and mutual gain are not separate goals, and that helping one another is the foundation of teamwork. The FLL core values are; We are a team, We do the work to find solutions with the guidance from our coaches and mentors, We know our coaches and mentors don’t have all the answers; We learn together; We honor the spirit of friendly competition; What we discover is more important that what we win; We share our experiences with others; We display Gracious Professionalism and Cooperation in everything we do; We have fun.