10 Jan Crown Center District is Building a City Block of Fun
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Melissa Ashcraft
KC STEM Alliance
816-392-8682 (mobile)
ashcraftme@kcstem.org
Kansas City, MO (January 8, 2013) – Crown Center District will be the place for all things LEGO on Saturday, January 18th, 2014. Two LEGO competitions will be held in the area, one at Union Station, and the other at Crown Center. While these are two separate LEGO building competitions, both begin at 9:00 a.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
The Greater Kansas City FIRST® LEGO League Championship will be held at Union Station. This competition, presented by Time Warner Cable and KC STEM Alliance, is one of the largest robotics tournaments in the Midwest. With a theme of NATURE’S FURY℠, teams will research and present solutions to natural disasters and discover what can be done when intense natural events occur.
“Over 400 elementary and middle school students from Kansas and Missouri, representing 41 teams, have been working to build, test and program an autonomous robot using LEGO® MINDSTORMS® software,” Laura Bauer, KC FIRST ® Regional Director at KC STEM Alliance, said “While solving missions and maneuvering their robots, these students learn that helping one another is the foundation of teamwork. They are so excited to qualify and eager to visit Union Station and compete.”
Just a 5-10 minute walk through the Link, the elevated skywalk between Union Station and Crown Center, will take visitors to the LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Kansas City’s All Star LEGO Building Challenge in the Crown Center Atrium. Pre-registered participants will compete in two age categories, ages 8-11 and 12-15. Each group will be given 30 minutes each round to build a LEGO model based on a designated theme. Participants will have the opportunity to win amazing prizes, with the top winner in each category winning a weeklong apprenticeship with Jeremiah Boehr, Master Model Builder at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City, during Spring Break 2014.
“Last year, the Kansas City community had a blast coming out to support the participants at the All Star Building Challenge,” Boehr, said. “We are looking forward to recreating that excitement for kids this year with our All Star Building Challenge at Crown Center.”
Schedule of events for Greater Kansas City FIRST LEGO League Championship
9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Opening Ceremony
9:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – FIRST LEGO League Competition
Noon – 3:30 p.m. – FIRST LEGO League Competition
4:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. – Awards Ceremony
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Kansas City opened April 2012. This is the fourth LEGOLAND Discovery Center in the United States. Described as stepping into the biggest box of LEGO bricks in the world, the $15 million, 30,000-square-foot interactive attraction features hands-on play areas, a 4D Cinema, master classes from the LEGO Master Model Builder, LEGO-themed rides, and special party rooms for birthdays and other celebrations. This highly interactive and educational 2-3 hour indoor experience is ideal for families with children.
FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology is a national partner with Connect a Million Minds (CAMM), an initiative of Time Warner Cable. CAMM’s goal is to connect one million young minds to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through after school programs such as those offered by FIRST robotics.
KC STEM Alliance supports local schools by assisting in the implementation of
FIRST ®), providing mentor-based after-school programs that inspire innovation, build STEM skills and foster self-confidence, communication and leadership. Programs include FIRST Robotics Competition, FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST LEGO® League and Junior FIRST LEGO® League. For more information visit kcfirst.org and kcstem.org
FIRST® LEGO League Regional Championship Sponsors & Sponsorship Information: Presented by Time Warner Cable and sponsored by KC STEM Alliance, LEGOLAND Discovery Center, Kansas City SEA LIFE Aquarium and Science City at Union Station.
