​Newton LigerBots Host LEGO State Championship, STEAM Expo

NEWTON, MA — The LigerBots, Newton’s high school robotics team, will host the FIRST LEGO League Eastern Massachusetts State Championship and a STEAM Expo on Dec. 14 at Newton North High School. The competition is for the fourth through eight-grade LEGO Robotics teams but it also has several elements open to anyone interested in making slime, working on a solar oven or creating a mini-light saber.

And if you like seeing what LEGOS can do? This is the event to watch.

The championship is part sports championship, part science fair, family reunion and dance party. The competition will bring together 48 of the top First Lego League teams from the eastern half of Massachusetts to compete for a chance to attend the world championship event in Detroit in April 2020. Last year’s Newton event drew nearly 1,000 people, according to organizers.

This year’s game, called “City Shaper” has an urban planning theme.

The teams have spent months building and programming robots to perform complex tasks as laid out by the "FIRST LEGO League" organization. Students have also created projects designed to solve real-world problems that come with living in a metro area. Those projects will also be on display for anyone to see.

There will be opportunities for the public to watch, touch, and drive the LigerBots’ robot as well as to participate in a STEAM Expo. This year’s expo will feature hands-on activities and displays from organizations including Students for a Greener World, Johnson String Instrument, Society for Women Engineers, and 501st.

Admission is free.

When: Saturday, December 14, 9am to 3pm.
Where: Newton North High School, 457 Walnut Street, Newton, Mass.
Who: Hosted by the LigerBots, competitors are 4th through 8th grade students