Oneida County 4-H partnered with FIRST LEGO League to offer a “Challenge” team, a 4-H STEM program for students in grades 4–8 that encourages interest in real-world topics and helps students develop skills for future careers. The 2024 theme was: SUBMERGED! The ocean is home to our planet’s most complex ecosystems, and last year’s materials helped team members explore the layers of the ocean and bring their learnings and ideas to the surface.

Join our team in 2025! We will meet regularly in a safe, inclusive space to have fun while accomplishing these 3 tasks:

1. ROBOT GAME: Our team will work to complete as many missions as possible as part of a robot game challenge related to the 2025 theme.
2. INNOVATION PROJECT: Our team will identify and research a problem in our own community to solve! Check out last year’s Innovation Project theme!
3. CORE VALUES / PRESENTATION: Our team might have the opportunity to create a poster and give a presentation at a regional competition about their robot design, innovation project, and how their team demonstrated the core principles of teamwork, inclusion, impact, discovery, innovation, as well as how they had fun as team!

Funding and volunteer/staff support are the greatest barriers to providing this amazing educational experience. It costs around $2,500 to start a 4-H/FIRST LEGO League Challenge Team. If you know of a business or individual interested in sponsoring a Challenge Team, please let us know! We would love to expand this program so more young people can learn, grow, and explore together!

2025 Cost: TBD

2025 SCHEDULE: TBD

The 2024 team was sponsored by the Oneida County 4-H Leaders’ Association and Printpack! Thank you for your support!!!

What should parents know?

• TRANSPORTATION: Bus transportation is not provided to events. Students will need to ride with a parent/guardian or carpool with a teammate to events.
• ATTENDANCE: Team gatherings are required, and all absences must be excused by a parent/guardian.
• BEHAVIOR: We ask that participants do their best when at 4-H LEGO Robotics Challenge meetings and be a good team member. Participants must follow Wisconsin 4-H’s behavior policies. If a student needs to be removed from the team for not following these policies, the registration fee will not be refunded.
• FAMILY SUPPORT: We ask that parents and family members understand what an important role the family members play to the success of this team and ask that all family members support their son/daughter throughout the season.
• SNACKS: We ask that parents/guardians help supply the team with snacks for at least one team gathering. Thank you in advance for this help!
• THANK YOU TO THE ONEIDA COUNTY 4-H LEADERS’ ASSOCIATION AND PRINTPACK: This opportunity is made possible because of the generous support of the Oneida County 4-H Leaders’ Association and Printpack. The true cost of starting a first-time 4-H/FIRST LEGO League “Challenge” team is nearly $2,600 (each participant would have had to pay around $370!!!) Thanks to the caring youth and adults who volunteer their time on the Leaders’ Association, and to our generous sponsor: Printpack, this opportunity is made possible and is affordable for families! In return, we ask that all participants who sign up take this opportunity seriously and commit to participating.
• PRACTICING COMMUNICATION SKILLS: At a regional competition, the teams will give a short presentation. They will be judged. Of course, we want to try our best and practice but know our team is focused more on the students’ overall experience and journey as a person and as a team than about their placement at the regional competition. 🙂