“If you build it, they will come.” That’s true of baseball but certainly true if the building involves LEGO, that is. This fall, the Near West Recreation League expands from athletics into Junior FIRST LEGO League (Jr. FLL).  David Hovis, an Ohio City resident, father, & materials engineer (and my husband), is overseeing the program in addition to coaching. Spurred by his sons’ love of all things LEGO and his own passion for STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics) activities, starting a Junior FLL seemed only natural. The initial response has been strong, with four teams of six children each. 

The Junior FLL is a recreation activity for children ages 6-9 centered around STEM. While noncompetitive at this level, the Junior FLL is based on the principles of Gracious Professionalism, or FIRST (For Inspiration & Recognition in Science & Technology).  While the kids’ goal is to build something really cool out of LEGO, the underlying goal is to learn about the year’s designated topic, provide hands-on building of a model with moving parts, and present their findings. These activities are similar to how Cleveland’s local STEM high schools teach, like MC2 STEM downtown, and are the foundation for enthusiasm for STEM.

“The goal is not only to entertain the kids but to inspire them to become a scientist or engineer,” says Hovis. “There is no competition at this level, with the goal to exercise their natural curiosity, work together, and build skills for future robotics competitions.”

Eric Wobser, executive director for Ohio City Inc.explains the motives behind recreational programming to “make Cleveland’s near west side the most family-friendly community in Northeast Ohio.” He adds, “supporting Junior First LEGO League is a great opportunity to expand the offerings of Near West Recreation through partnering with a neighborhood champion.”

This year’s challenge is “Disaster Blaster.” The goal is for teams to learn about natural disasters, how people and their environment are affected, and the responses that occur in the face of disasters.  Each team will choose a disaster; they work together to research the topic then build a LEGO model with moving parts and a simple machine. Finally, the team will create a “Show Me” poster describing what the team learned and then share their challenge with other teams and the community.

All Near West Recreation programs, including Junior First LEGO League, are made possible through the presenting sponsorship of Ohio Savings Bank.