Baksteen Valken-American Robotics Tournament

We are Baksteen Valken, FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team 16152 from Oshkosh, WI. FIRST LEGO League Challenge is a global competition where children are immersed in science and technology challenges. Each season, teams are tasked to build and program a robot to compete on a playing field and create new ways to solve real-world problems. Through our success in the 2024-2025 competitions in Wisconsin, we have qualified to compete at the national American Robotics Tournament in Jersey City, New Jersey on May 17-18, 2025. We're looking for support for team travel to New Jersey, May 16-19.

Who are we?

We are Baksteen Valken, FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team 16152 from Oshkosh, WI. Our team is composed of students in grades 4-8 from ALPs Charter, Perry Tipler, Vel Phillips, and Carl Traeger schools.

What is the FIRST LEGO League?

In FIRST LEGO League Challenge, children are immersed in real-world science and technology challenges. In addition to building autonomous LEGO robots to solve a series of missions, teams complete an Innovation Project to design and create solutions to a current scientific question or problem.

The mission of FIRST is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders by engaging them in exciting mentor-based robotics programs. These programs build STEM skills, inspire innovation, and foster well-rounded life capabilities, including self-confidence, communication, and leadership. 

What have we done?

In the 2024-2025 SUBMERGED season, which began in August 2024, FLL teams were challenged to dive into a problem faced by people who explore the oceans and develop innovative solutions. Baksteen Valken discovered that rip currents endanger the lives of ocean beach explorers, as well as beach visitors nearby on our Great Lakes. The team created the Baksteen Buoy and prototype that can detect rip currents and display warning lights if conditions are too dangerous to swim. It is self-powered with solar panels and a propeller that uses water currents to charge an internal battery. The buoy also includes a personal floatation device that can be deployed to swimmers in need through an app.

In November and December 2024, over 300 FLL teams competed at tournaments around Wisconsin, where judges provided valuable feedback on their robot, code, and invention. At the Robot Game table, teams raced against the clock for a personal best score and the chance to advance to the next level, the sectional tournament.

Baksteen Valken attended the Lakeshore Regional on November 17, winning the Tournament Champions Award. Next, Baksteen Valken attended the Oak Creek Sectional on December 14, winning the Innovation Project Award and earning a spot to compete at the Wisconsin State Championship.

The top 28 ranked teams competed at the Wisconsin State Championship on January 19, where Baksteen Valken earned a Core Values Award and earned high scores overall in judged sessions and the robot game, qualifying to compete at the American Robotics Tournament in Jersey City, New Jersey on May 17-18, 2025. 

The American Robotics National competition features 52 teams from 41 FLL regions including Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia/DC, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. 

At the American Robotics Tournament, teams will bring their LEGO robots to complete missions on a playing field in a timed competition.  Each team will also give a 30-minute presentation to a panel of judges about their innovative research projects, their robot design and programming process, and how the team uses the FIRST Core Values to make a positive impact in FLL and our communities. This unique opportunity will allow our team to collaborate with teams from the US and its territories, learning about other cultures, strengthening our STEM skills, and inspiring students to explore new ideas.

How can you help?

We are a self-funded team and are thankful to have received donations for robotics equipment and 3D printing supplies. However, out-of-state travel is expensive, and a hardship for our families. We're looking for support for team travel to New Jersey, May 16-19, including tournament registration fees, airfare, ground transportation, lodging, team uniforms, and meals. No amount is too small, and every contribution matters! 

Your generosity will make a significant impact on our team’s ability to travel to the American Robotics Tournament, where Baksteen Valken will continue to learn and grow on our FLL SUBMERGED journey with this experience of a lifetime!