300+ to attend regional FIRST LEGO League Tournament Nov. 19 at Gar-Field High School in Woodbridge

To see how students get hooked on robots, catch the FIRST LEGO League tournament at Gar-Field High School on Nov. 19. The opening ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. Students will bring robots made of LEGO pieces that they have built and programmed to complete multiple tasks.

The FLL robots are not maneuvered by a remote control like many other robotic platforms. Instead, the FLL robots are driven by a computer program that these fourth and fifth graders have written themselves, a news release from Prince William County Schools said.

PWCS elementary schools offer FIRST LEGO League robotics as a before- or after-school team activity. Many of these groups are making names for themselves in competitions, with coaching they receive from middle and high school students, sponsors, parents, and teachers.

Robotics builds critical engineering skills for students, such as problem solving, design, and logistics, as well as teamwork. Robotics is considered the pipeline to STEM careers, according to the news release.