The Northeast Florida Regional FIRST Lego League Kickoff was held August 20 on the Bolles Middle School Bartram Campus. In addition to the general meeting, attendees participated in breakout sessions for students, coaches and volunteers to dive deeper into changes to the new season.

The following esteemed experts helped students launch what is sure to be a superpowered season:

• Rob Francher, Rayonier
• Bruce Griner, Department of Defense Starbase Florida 
• Dr. Ayan Dutta, University of North Florida
• Dr. Emri Selvi, Jacksonville University
• Jennifer Andersson ’86 Bartram, 501st Legion Squad 7 

Bolles middle school teacher Gabi Fudge planned the kickoff as a member of the FIRST Lego League regional planning team to ensure students start the new robotics season smoothly and build a strong support for new teams in the area. The event was a resounding success thanks to Bolles faculty members Andrew Nation, Beth Zerkowski, Mark Meyers, John Jenkins and Betsy Bailey as well as dedicated volunteers Lori Shad, Deborah Proctor and Richard Zerkowski.

The organizers would also like to recognize the Bolles FIRST Tech Challenge team and lower school FIRST Lego League teams in addition to Tyvonnia Clayton and the Bartram Campus welcome center staff. 

Click HERE to learn more about robotics programs at The Bolles School.