Junior High Students

What We Offer

Stellar Robotics offers programs for junior high age students through the FIRST® organization in two categories:

Member Responsibilities

Membership on a Stellar Robotics junior high team includes the following requirements:

  • attendance
  • fundraising
  • parent or guardian support/volunteerism

Team Size

  • FIRST limits the number of students per FTC team to 15.
  • FIRST limits the number of students per FLL team to 10.

Number of Teams

Stellar Robotics currently offers

  • one FTC team
  • two FLL teams

Additional teams are possible when we have sufficient coaches/mentors available. Two per team are required, but more are definitely helpful. At least one mentor per team with technical knowledge is necessary for FTC. Less technical knowledge is needed for FLL, although they do quite a bit of programming.

If you are interested in team membership for your student, we strongly urge you to consider signing up as a coach/mentor and recruiting technical mentors from among your acquaintance. You will receive assistance from veteran coaches. No mentors, no teams.

Junior High Season

The FTC and FLL seasons begin in August and run through the fall. Some events may carry over into winter. In addition, when teams qualify, they may participate in the international championship event, which takes place in Detroit, MI in April of each year.

Other FTC Program Details

  • On and off field competition
  • Scholarship opportunities (technical and non-technical fields)
  • Design, build, program, and operate a robot to compete in a head-to-head challenge in an alliance format

Other FLL Program Details

  • Project AND competition
  • Research a real-life problem such as food safety, recycling, energy, etc., and develop a solution
  • Design, build, and program a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS®, then compete on a table-top playing field

FTC Learning Opportunities

  • design
  • strategy
  • brainstorming
  • prototyping
  • assembly
  • electrical
  • programming
  • public speaking
  • marketing

and more!

How and When to Apply

  • Apply by the end of July for the season beginning in August.
  • First come, first served.
  • We maintain a waiting list in case a student drops out or is unable to attend.

Questions?