Our programs
FIRST® LEGO® League
Spark early STEM curiosity in grades K–8.
FIRST® LEGO® League introduces elementary and middle school students to STEM through hands-on building, coding, teamwork and creative problem-solving. Teams explore a real-world theme, develop innovative ideas and use LEGO® Education technology to bring their solutions to life.
The final FIRST LEGO® League season
After nearly three decades of partnership between FIRST and LEGO Education, the 2026–2027 FIRST LEGO® League season, BIOGLOW™, will be the final season of the program and include two editions: Founders Edition and Future Edition.
Founders Edition (grades 2–8) includes the familiar Explore and Challenge experiences using LEGO Education SPIKE technology.
Future Edition (grades K–8) introduces new age-based experiences using LEGO Education Computer Science & AI kits.
In Texas, most events this season will be Founders Edition, with at least one Future Edition event planned.
One statewide program, supported regionally
FIRST LEGO® League in Texas is organized into seven geographic regions. Each region connects teams with local advancing events, resources, and support.
What teams experience
Research and Innovate
Teams explore a real-world problem connected to the season theme and create an Innovation Project solution.
Design and Build
Teams use LEGO® Education materials to design and build a robot for the Robot Game.
Program and Test
Students code their robot, test mission strategies, and improve their solution through iteration.
Compete and Celebrate
Teams present their Innovation Project and Robot Design, compete in the Robot Game, and demonstrate Core Values.
Season at a glanceThe 2026–27 season: BIOGLOW™
BIOGLOW™ is the final FIRST LEGO League season and comes in two editions. Texas focuses on Founders Edition — kickoff in August, qualifiers December–January, State in early March.
The 2026–27 season: BIOGLOW™
The 2026–27 FIRST LEGO® League season is BIOGLOW™, part of the biodiversity-themed FIRST CANOPY™ season. For nearly three decades FIRST and LEGO Education have partnered to introduce millions of young people to STEM; BIOGLOW™ will be the final season of the program and includes two editions.
BIOGLOW™ Founders Edition
A continuation of the FIRST LEGO® League program you know. Explore teams (grades 2–4) use the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential Set. Challenge teams (grades 4–8) can use SPIKE™ Prime, SPIKE™ Essential, EV3, or MINDSTORMS to program a robot that completes missions autonomously in two-and-a-half-minute matches, and tackle a real-world problem through the Innovation Project. Most FIRST Texas events, including qualifiers, regionals, and state, are Founders Edition Challenge.
BIOGLOW™ Future Edition
A new experience built on LEGO Education Computer Science & AI kits. Texas will host a limited number of Future Edition events for grades 3–8, run as one combined division, and will not hold a regional or state championship for this edition.
Season calendar
| Activity | What happens | When |
|---|---|---|
| Season kickoff | Official launch of the FIRST LEGO League season: the new challenge, season resources and game materials. | Aug 4, 2026 |
| Coach information sessions & kickoffs | In-person sessions where coaches learn about the season, event expectations, resources and support. | Aug – Sep |
| Volunteer trainings | Training for volunteers serving as referees and judges at FIRST LEGO League events. | Sep – Dec |
| Challenge (Founders) — Scrimmages | Informal practice events to test the robot, practice presenting and prepare for an official qualifier. | Oct – Dec |
| Challenge (Founders) — Qualifiers | Each Challenge team competes at one official qualifier: Robot Game, Innovation Project and Core Values. Advancing teams move on to their Regional Championship. | Dec – Jan |
| Regional Championships (Challenge Teams Only) | Advancing Challenge teams compete within their region for awards and the chance to advance beyond the regional level. | February |
| Texas State Championship (Challenge Teams Only) | Advancing Challenge teams from all seven regions come together for the statewide championship and a celebration of the season. | Early March |
| Explore Festivals (Founders) | Explore teams share their model and poster, show what they learned and celebrate their season at noncompetitive festivals. | Spring |
| FIRST LEGO League Invitationals | Selected teams may be invited to additional events that bring teams together from different regions and countries. | Spring – Summer 2027 |
| World Festival at FIRST Championship | Advancing teams join the international FIRST community to compete, connect and celebrate. | Apr 28 – May 1, 2027 |
Find your regionRegions & contacts
Regions are assigned by county. Your Regional Program Administrator is your contact for local events, deadlines and support — 7 regions listed with emails.
Regions & contacts
FIRST LEGO® League in Texas is organized into seven regions — North, East, Central (Austin/Waco), Central (San Antonio/Corpus Christi), South, West and Panhandle. Find yours on the map.
Your Regional Program Administrator (formerly “PDP”) is your primary connection to local events, season information, team support and advancement. Questions that don't fit a region: texasinfo@firstinspires.org.
CentralSan Antonio/Corpus ChristiEsmeralda MarreroRegional Program Administrator
- UO
Not sure which region you're in? Regions are assigned by county — find yours on the map above, or open the events map.
Three stagesPricing & registration
Register with FIRST HQ ($150 Explore · $285 Challenge · $250–285 Future), pay the Texas event fee ($45–175 by region), then select your qualifier here.
Pricing & registration
Every team goes through the same three steps. Note that this website supports Step 3 — selection of your event. What changes by edition is the price and the kind of event — read down your column:
Step 1
Register with FIRST HQ
Step 2
Pay the Texas event fee
Step 3
Select your event
Fees are paid in the FIRST Storefront from late September; event selection happens on this site once your Regional Program Administrator opens it. Tap the i in any cell for the fine print.
- Panhandle — Explore festivals run by Texas Tech University are free; Challenge qualifiers are $45 (supported by Texas Tech).
- West (El Paso) — no Texas fee here: register locally through UTEP (El Paso registration). Teams advancing to the State Championship get instructions from FIRST Texas.
How Challenge teams move through the seasonAdvancement & event types
One qualifier per team, in your own region → Regional Championship → the 64-team Texas State Championship → FIRST Championship or a FIRST LEGO League Invitational.
Advancement & event types
Texas Challenge teams move through a regional pathway before statewide and international opportunities.
- Qualifying Tournament — every team starts here, in its own region.
- Regional Championship — a portion of teams advance. Each region hosts one or two depending on team count.
- Texas FIRST LEGO® League State Championship — a 64-team event welcoming teams from all seven regions, including El Paso.
- FIRST Championship / Invitationals — Texas receives a limited number of Championship slots each year, awarded by Champion's Award rank at State. Teams may also be invited to a FIRST LEGO® League Invitational.
Event types
Qualifiers
Local competitive events with the Robot Game, Innovation Project, Robot Design and Core Values judging. Eligible teams advance to their Regional Championship based on the slots allocated to that event.
Regional Championships
Bring together teams advancing from local qualifiers. A region may host one or two. Eligible teams advance to State based on the slots allocated to each region.
Texas State Championship
The 64-team statewide event, including UTEP-region teams. Invitations are based on slots allocated to each Regional Championship. Teams compete for statewide recognition and possible advancement to the FIRST Championship or a FIRST LEGO® League Invitational.
FIRST Championship
The culminating international event of the season. The number of Texas invitations is set by FIRST HQ based on total slots available.
FIRST LEGO® League Invitationals
Extra opportunities to compete with teams from other states, regions and countries. Teams at the State Championship complete an Invitational preference form; invitations are offered by State performance, available slots and stated preference.
Advancement FAQ
Does the Texas State Championship advance teams to the FIRST Championship?
Yes. Eligible teams may advance from State to the FIRST Championship. Slots are allocated to Texas by FIRST HQ.
Can my team compete in more than one qualifier, or outside our region?
No. Each team competes in one official qualifier, within its assigned region, so every team has an equitable route through its regional pathway. (This site enforces the one-event rule when you select.)
How is judging conducted in the BIOGLOW™ season?
All judging at official Texas Challenge events is in person: a single session covering Innovation Project, Robot Design and Core Values, using the official BIOGLOW™ rubrics. See FIRST LEGO® League Game & Season Info.
Where can I find more about my region?
Each region publishes local kickoffs, scrimmages, qualifiers and championships as hosts are confirmed — see Regions & contacts and the calendar.
Teams & coachesFAQ
Founders or Future? Age and team-size rules, grade bands, judging format, team roles, and how a family finds a team.
FAQ
Don't see your question? Email texasinfo@firstinspires.org or your Regional Program Administrator.
Do I register for Future or Founders Edition?
It depends on budget, event participation and learning goals.
Official Texas events focus on Challenge (Founders Edition): every region has multiple qualifiers and advancement to regional, state and world events. Texas will hold only a few Future Edition events depending on interest, with a few possible advancement spots to an invitational or championship, and no Future Edition regional or state championship.
Equipment. Founders/Challenge: if you have SPIKE Prime, SPIKE Essential, EV3 or MINDSTORMS you're set. SPIKE products retired June 30, 2026; kits may still be found online or via this form. FIRST plans to keep SPIKE compatibility through 2028–29 as it launches its own K–8 programs. Future Edition: teams must buy LEGO Education Computer Science & AI sets during registration.
Founders Challenge: what are the age requirements?
Challenge is the only FIRST program with a minimum age: students must be at least 9 or in 4th grade at registration (official participation rules). Texas can waive this for a student who has outgrown Explore:
- Coach emails texasinfo@firstinspires.org with team number and reason.
- We send a special consent & release form for the parent or guardian to sign.
- Before the event, the coach prints the HQ team roster, adds the student and attaches the form.
- Roster and form are handed in at team check-in.
Texas won't exclude a team with a younger student from awards or advancement — but talk to the Texas team before any decision that could affect participation.
Future Edition: which grade band do I choose?
Future Edition has two age bands: ages 5–7 (about K–2) and ages 8–14 (about grades 3–8). When registering for grades 3–8 you'll pick 3–5 or 6–8; with a mix, choose 6–8. Texas Future Edition competitions are one division covering grades 3–8 and both bands receive the supplies to compete.
How do I register my team?
Three phases: FIRST HQ season registration → Texas qualifying event fee → selecting your event. Details under Pricing & registration. Registration itself happens with FIRST HQ; once your region opens event selection, coaches select their event from their Coach Dashboard — sign in with the email address FIRST HQ has on file for your team.
What are the team size requirements?
Founders: 2–10 students recommended. Future Edition: 4–10. Texas doesn't penalize larger teams (no exclusion from awards or advancement), but events are planned for 10 students per team, so extra members may not receive a participation prize or other items.
Is judging in person or virtual?
FIRST Texas is moving to in-person judging for all FIRST LEGO® League events. All Regional events except South will judge in person, and every effort is made to offer it at all qualifiers. Ask your regional contact about a specific event.
My child would like to join a team. Can you help?
Teams are formed and managed independently in their communities, including recruiting, so neither FIRST nor FIRST Texas can match students to teams or share private contacts. Ways to look:
- FIRST Team & Event Search — some teams list a public email or website.
- Ask nearby schools, libraries, homeschool groups and youth organizations.
- Community groups where openings are posted: North Texas FLL Google Group (DFW) and the Texas Mentor Slack. Not run by FIRST, but families often have good luck there.
- Attend a local event — kickoffs, workshops, scrimmages and competitions put teams, coaches and volunteers in one room. See the calendar.
Teams decide their own membership and may not be able to accept everyone. If nothing fits, consider starting a team — no engineering experience is needed to coach.
Who are the adults on a team?
- Lead Coach 1 & 2 — adult volunteers who lead day-to-day activities and are the team's primary contacts. Two adults required; one recommended 25+. Leads create teams, manage contacts, pay registration, register participants and view youth info. Lead Coach 2 can't invite Lead Coach 1 or a Team Administrator.
- Mentor — 18+, technical or non-technical, helps regularly but may not attend everything. No admin permissions.
- Team Administrator (optional) — 18+, handles finances/procurement without working directly with students. Can invite or remove Lead Coaches only. A Lead Coach 1 already has these abilities.
- Youth Mentor (optional) — a 13–17-year-old veteran helping a younger team. No admin permissions.
- Team Volunteer (optional) — 18+, supports regularly (chaperoning, logistics) without mentoring or coaching. Anyone who directly and consistently engages youth should be rostered and complete Youth Protection training and screening.
In FIRST HQ's own systems these are contact types rather than “roles”, which is the wording you will meet on the Dashboard. Non-rostered helpers include subject-matter experts (occasional consulting) and supporters (parents who help indirectly). Roles infographic
How do I get updates for FIRST LEGO® League in Texas?
Subscribe to the newsletter — it's how season information goes out — and join the Texas Robot Mentor Slack, run by Texas coaches for Texas coaches.
I need help with FIRST HQ registration.
Contact customerservice@firstinspires.org.
CalendarUpcoming FIRST LEGO® League events
42 upcoming FIRST LEGO® League events on the Texas calendar.
Upcoming FIRST LEGO® League events
FLL Challenge East - The Woodlands Scrimmage
- Nov 7, 2026 · 8:00 AM CT
- The Woodlands High School, The Woodlands
FLL Challenge Central Austin/Waco - RoboClash FLL Scrimmage
- Nov 7, 2026 · 1:00 PM CT
- Girl Scouts of Central Texas, Austin
FLL Challenge East - SFAS Uni Qualifier
- Dec 5, 2026 · 8:00 AM CT
- Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches
FLL Challenge Central Austin/Waco- Dripping Springs Qualifier
- Dec 5, 2026 · 8:00 AM CT
- Dripping Springs High School, Dripping Springs
FLL Challenge North - Academy HS Qualifier
- Dec 5, 2026
- Academy High School, Plano
FLL Challenge North - Cleburne HS Qualifer
- Dec 5, 2026
- Cleburne High School, Cleburne
