Kids around the robotics table at Mountainview High School.

Teams and judges surround the robotics table during the robotics tournament at Mountainview High School.

On December 15, 2024, Bend’s Mountain View High School was buzzing with excitement as teams gathered for the highly anticipated FIRST® LEGO® League Qualifying Tournament, a key milestone on the journey to the annual state-level robotics competition in Oregon. Hosted in the school gymnasium, the tournament unfolded with incredible moments of creativity, collaboration, and spirited competition.

“No question about it, this was a super exciting day for our three Camp Fire robotics teams!” said Jess Pederson, Camp Fire Central Oregon’s STEAM Program Coordinator. “The kids were so full of energy and lots of big feelings, and I witnessed a lot of collaboration, problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking, and amazing examples of Camp Fire competitors using a growth mindset, which we’d been cultivating over many weeks in preparation for this event.” 

The Brickoladons won the "Rising All-Star" award, a promising salute to their talent and potential!

The Competition Unfolds…
The big event kicked off with an opening ceremony, where judges were introduced and the tournament format was explained. Each team had three robot matches to demonstrate their programming and engineering prowess, paired with a 30-minute session presenting their Innovation Projects to judges. With two practice tables available, teams made the most of their downtime, fine-tuning their strategies and refining their builds.

The competition culminated in a celebratory closing ceremony. Participation awards highlighted the unique contributions of all teams, while the coveted competition awards recognized standout performers. Among the many memorable moments: the announcement of the Rising Star Award, which went to Camp Fire’s Brickoladons, a younger team praised for their ingenuity and hard work.

“The judges wanted to recognize the Brickoladons for all of the hard work they had put into both their Innovation Project and their robot,” Jess said. “While there were teams comprised of much older kids who ultimately won and are continuing on to the state level, the judges thought the Brickoladons have major potential to prosper in future competitions. So that was really cool!”

Kids putting their hands together in a teamwork fashion.

The Sharks put their hands together in a show of camaraderie.

 A Commitment to Excellence
Behind the impressive team performances lay countless hours of preparation. Collectively, the participating Camp Fire teams (The Sharks, Funni Business and the Brickolodons) invested 95 hours in skilling up, training, and mastering the complexities of robotics. From coding and building to testing and iterating, these young innovators poured their energy into achieving their goals over 10 weeks.

Throughout that time, kids got to know one another, not just in the sense of making friends, but in gaining awareness of each other’s strengths and what that understanding means for a team.

“We all work on different parts,” reflected Reid, a member of The Brickolodons. “Like, I’m working on the coding, other people come up with ideas for attachments, and some people work on the innovation project…and when you work together, you can get more stuff done.”

Building Soft Skills Through Robotics
Beyond the technical skills on display, Jess noted that the tournament highlighted the development of crucial soft skills among the participants:

Collaboration – Teams worked tirelessly together, embracing communication and compromise. “You have to use other people’s ideas, not just your own,” said Violet, a Funni Business team member.

Problem-Solving – Reid of the Brickoladons explained: “If something goes wrong, you’ve got to fix it. Like if one wheel is slippery or one wheel is sticky, you’ve got to make both of them sticky or both slippery.”

Kids around the robotics table, helping each other.

In the midst of competition, critical thinking is key!

Creativity – Participants devised innovative robot attachments to complete challenges, demonstrating a deep understanding of LEGO engineering. Remarked Levon, representing The Sharks: “Something that’s been wonderful about this program has been being able to build with LEGOs and use your imagination…like (you) build stuff and go outside of the instructions and go out of the box with your imagination.”

Critical Thinking – The competition required strategizing under pressure and analyzing what adjustments would lead to success. Jess saw it in action: “One of the most critical parts of doing well in a competition is creating attachments for the robots to complete specific tasks. There were team members who could look at a picture of something built from LEGOs and replicate it exactly. Some kids could think about the end result that they wanted to achieve, then create something that would achieve that. And it's not as simple as building something static — these attachments must be able to move, so there are gears and motors and programming involved.”

Growth Mindset – As Carter, another member of Funni Business reflected, “Our first couple of practice rounds didn’t work, but then we fixed it and made it better. It helps your brain grow.”

Camp Fire Team: The Sharks!

Camp Fire Team: The Sharks!

Testimonies and Takeaways
In spite of the intensity of the day, the competition wasn’t without its lighter moments. Whether it was troubleshooting a robot glitch or cheering on a successful mission, the energy in the gym was electric. For many, it wasn’t just about the competition—it was about learning, growing, and having fun.

Participants and parents alike had glowing feedback. One parent shared, “You did a wonderful job redirecting kids and keeping them on task. I appreciated how you encouraged my child to focus without micromanaging. It was so helpful.”

Focus wasn’t all that was needed to stay on track, too. Collaboration was key, according to Reid, who, summing it all up perfectly, said, “When you work together, you can get more stuff done, and you can do better in the competitions. It feels like, ‘Yes! You just got it—and you might move on!’”

Meanwhile, Levon expressed how the program fostered true camaraderie with others in the program. As a team member who is passionate about robotics, discovering that others shared the same spark and working alongside them was huge: “It’s really nice doing teamwork. I really like my team—a lot. I can’t put into words how fun it is being here!”

With such dedication and passion, the future of robotics for our Camp Fire community is undoubtedly promising. These young innovators aren’t just learning about robotics—they’re building skills that will serve them for life.

What’s Next for STEAM and Robotics?
The local robotics community isn’t slowing down, at least not at Camp Fire Central Oregon! This winter and spring, several exciting programs are on the horizon:

  • Free “Bit(e) of Robotics” Sessions at the La Pine and Sunriver Libraries in February and March.
  • An Introduction to Robotics program from April-June, giving kids a taste for what robotics is all about and, for these newcomers, some preliminary exposure to FIRST® LEGO® League robotics training.
  • Our first-ever Earth Day Poetry Slam in April.

Stay tuned for more information on all these programs, with information and details being updated on our website within the coming weeks!

Camp Fire Team: The Brickalodons!

Camp Fire Team: Funni Business!