FLL Explore Team Info
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We are very fortunate in the FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge and FIRST® LEGO® League Explore communities to have so much material available on the Internet. This page is broken up into various topics. We started by watching a few of them and putting them here. Just like FLL Challenge and FLL Explore, these are from all over the world. We also created a Google Form to allow you to comment on these in case we need to remove some or add ones that you found particularly helpful.
The beauty of this is you can start now and learn at your own pace. Team mentors can encourage students to look for videos or websites and take notes at home when not at team meetings. Please let us know if this is helpful. ([email protected])
Disclaimer: The presentation of these links or websites does not mean that FIRST Mid-Atlantic agrees with anything that is being presented here. If you find anything offensive that we should remove please let us know immediately and we will remove the link.
Topics
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
| Coach's Required Reading | FIRST has a lot of materinal available for these competitions. The items here are of particular importance so they are, in our opinion, required reading by all coaches. Please get a cup of coffee, sit in a quiet room and take the time to go through all of these to be sure you are ready for this season. |
| Required PA Act153 Clearences | **PA ONLY** These are now required by FIRST for all coaches and adult (18+) volunteers. Some are good for several years. |
| Teams Required Documentation | FIRST and FIRST Mid-Atlantic requires all youth team members (coaches, helpers and students) to to provide several documents each season. |
| FLL Explore Build Kits | There are now two sets of electronics you can use with Explore. The original WeDo 2.0 kit and now the new Spike Essential. Both can be used for many seasons. |
| FLL Explore Demos | Demos from other FLL Explore teams |
| FLL Explore Festivals | Discusses FLL Explore Festivals |
Topic: Coach's Required Reading[back to Topics]
| Title Link | Description | Updated |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST has a lot of materinal available for these competitions. The items here are of particular importance so they are, in our opinion, required reading by all coaches. Please get a cup of coffee, sit in a quiet room and take the time to go through all of these to be sure you are ready for this season. | ||
| Welcome Letter | A message from FIRST about the new season. Share with parents and students so they get a good glimpse of what this is all about. | Updated August 3, 2025 |
| Start a team | See your students grow up and shine though FIRST® LEGO® League. | |
| FMA-FLL New Explore Coach Training 101 | Google Slides presentation of what New Explore Coaches can expect. | Updated Sept. 8, 2025 |
| FMA-FLL New Explore Coach Training 101 Video | Video of presentation with other coaches. | Updated Sept. 22, 2025 |
| FMA-FLL Participation and Registration Process 2025 v1 | This document describes team participation and registration for the FMA-FLL Official events including Explore Festivals, Challenge Regional Qualifying Topurnaments (RQTs) and the Challenge Championchips. | Updated Sep. 22, 2025 |
| FMA-FLL Event Official Registration Google Form For PA-East, NJ-North and Delaware Events | Please read the Participation and Registration Document (above) to know how the registration will work. This is open in a test mode until Oct. 10, 2025. Over that weekend it will be updated for the actual 2025 registrations. Send any suggestions to [email protected] | Updated Sep. 22, 2025 |
| Multi-Team Consolidated Invoices | This form is created to allow FLL organizations to tell us who they are. We will use this information to create multi-line , consolidated invoices for the registered teams. The link to your teams is the team administrator's email. All your teams must have the same team administrator email, in their FIRST team profile to be included on a consolidated invoice. To take advantage of this someone in you org must to get all your teams to include your designated administrator in their team profile. IMPORTANT Note: These invoices will be sent by First Mid-Atlantic for the FLL programs like FLL Challenge and FLL Explore. If a team has not registered by the time we generate the invoice, they will not be included in the invoice. Another will be generated at a later date. | Updated Sep. 23, 2025 |
| Youth Protection Policy Training | The purpose of the FIRST® Youth Protection Program is to provide coaches, mentors, event volunteers, employees, Program Delivery Partners, team members, parents, guardians of team members, and others working with FIRST programs with information, guidelines, and procedures to create safe environments for FIRST participants. For PA Coaches and Volunteers, this include all the PA Act153 Information including how to upload your docs to FIRST. FYI: Frank Larkin redid all his clearences. Most were immediate on the website, the Chlidhood Clearence took 1 week to get back. He then downloaded them and uploaded to FIRST. He is now good for 5 years. | Updated September 9, 2025 |
| FIRST Season Page | This is the first, one stop shop, for all FLL Documents related to the current season. Scroll down to Season Resources. Then select the FLL Explore Program. | Updated August 6, 2024 |
| FIRST FLL Game and Season Page | This is the second, one stop shop, for all season and game details. Select what you want on the menu on the left. | Updated August 3, 2023 |
| Adding Parents and Students To Your Team Roster (5:27) | This is a quick video that shows you how to add your parents and students to your team's roster. | Link Added Nov 9, 2023 |
Topic: Required PA Act153 Clearences [back to Topics]
| Title Link | Description | Updated |
|---|---|---|
| **PA ONLY** These are now required by FIRST for all coaches and adult (18+) volunteers. Some are good for several years. | Updated Sept. 2, 2025 | |
| FIRST Youth Protection Policy and PA Coach / Volunteer Required Clearences | This document contains all the YPP information in one place. For PA coaches and volunteers, under Local YPP State Requirements for California and Pennsylvania, it discusses the PA Act 153 Clearences that you are required to fill out. Each of these are highlighted here for your conveince. These clearences are good for 5 years. Once you have completed them or you have them from previous seasons, you just need to upload them, to FIRST, using the provided link. | Updated Sept. 2, 2025 |
| PA Criminal History Check | PA Coaches and Volunteers must get a PA Criminal History Check. You then must upload to FIRST with your other documents. This sites purpose is to better enable the public to obtain criminal history record checks. Free for coaches and volunteers (specify volunteer when completing) Note From Frank Larkin: Completed form and background check in about 20 minutes. To be completly honest, I was up at 3:00 AM. Once complete, I was able to save the form from the website and uploaded it to FIRST using the links provided. | Updated Sept. 2, 2025 |
| Child Abuse Clearence | PA Coaches and Volunteers must get a PA Child Abuse Clearence. This service provides a means for individuals to apply for PA Child Abuse History Clearance online and for mandated reporters to report child abuse in Pennsylvania. This cost $13. If you do it every 5 years it is free. From Frank Laarkin: I redid mine to see how long it takes. | Updated Sept. 2, 2025 |
| PA Resident Affidavit | DISCLOSURE STATEMENT APPLICATION FOR UNPAID/VOLUNTEER POSITION If you have lived at least 10 years or more in PA. If this is the case, you need to fill out and file this assertation with FIRST. You will not need FBI fingerprinting. | Updated Sept. 2, 2025 |
| FBI Criminal Background Check | If you have lived less than 10 years in PA you will need an FBI fingerprint and background check. Use Access Code: 1KG6ZJ ($22.95) | Updated Sept. 2, 2025 |
| Form to upload PA Act153 files to FIRST | Use this form to upload your documents to FIRST. | Updated Sept. 2, 2025 |
| Contacting FIRST | FIRST is handling all the Clearence issues. Please contact them directly. FIRST Phone Support (Ask for team support) (603) 666-3906 or (800) 871-8326 Mon-Fri 8:30am - 5:00pm EST/EDT | Updated Sept. 2, 2025 |
Topic: Teams Required Documentation[back to Topics]
| Title Link | Description | Updated |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST and FIRST Mid-Atlantic requires all youth team members (coaches, helpers and students) to to provide several documents each season. | Under review Aug. 2, 2022 | |
| FIRST Youth Registration System | FIRST requires all youth team members (coaches, helpers and students) to register. Youth Team Members who have not registered will not be permitted to participate in FIRST remote and in-person team meetings, events, or competitions. This page includes the new Express Enrollment process for coaches and parents. | Updated Sept. 29, 2023 |
| View Express Enrollment Coach/Mentor Instructions | The new Express Enrollment application is available now for coaches/mentors in the United States and Canada with completed FIRST Youth Protection Screenings and provides a simplified experience on mobile and desktop to register and accept youth to FIRST teams. | Updated Sept. 29, 2023 |
| View Express Enrollment Parent/Guardian Instructions | This site is intended for parents or guardians who wish to register their youth under age 18 to participate inf FIRST programs. | Updated Sept. 29, 2023 |
| Getting Additional Adults (Mentors, Coaches, and Chaperones) through FIRST YPP | This describes how other team parents or adult helpers can get FIRST background checked. This can be helpful in case a coach cannot attend an event. FIRST requires 2 Youth Protection Program cleared adults to be with the team at events. FMA is very concerned about the safety of our students. We further encourage additional parents sign up a mentors but act as Chaperones for the team at events. | Updated Sept. 29, 2023 |
| FIRST Mid-Atlantic Release Forms | This form is no longer needed as all the informaiotn is in the FIRST C&R Form. | Reviewed Sept. 7, 2023 |
| Draft Note to Parents to Register their child (Word Doc) | This is a draft of a note you can send to your parents asking them to register their kids for Robots. Is is in a DOC format so you can edit it as you see fit. Please add your team name and number in the appropriate places. I hope this helps you a little to get some of this done. Thanks for all you help. Frank Larkin FMA-FLL Director | Updated October 2021 |
| FIRST Consent and Release Form 2024-24 ENGLISH Can be used for 8-year old Challenge Team members. | Please use this only if you are unable to register on FIRST's website. | Link Updated Nov 4, 2024 |
| PRIMER Formulario de Consentimiento y Liberación 2024-25 ESPAÑOL Puede usarse para miembros del equipo Challenge de 8 años. | Utilice esto solo si no puede registrarse en el sitio web de FIRST. | Link Updated Nov 4, 2024 |
Topic: FLL Explore Build Kits[back to Topics]
| Title Link | Description | Updated |
|---|---|---|
| There are now two sets of electronics you can use with Explore. The original WeDo 2.0 kit and now the new Spike Essential. Both can be used for many seasons. | Updated July, 2022 | |
| LEGO Mini Builds in FIRST LEGO Leage Explore usign WeDO 2.0 (1:31) | LEGO Mini Builds are short, inspirational activities you can use to get kids to talk about themselves and their ideas. In this video, we explain how to run Mini Builds with your team. | Updated 2019 |
| Getting Started with WeDO 2.0 (Youtube Playlist) | The LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 curriculum pack is built on Next Generation Science Standards and delivers key science content to second through fourth grade students. | Updated 2019 |
| Getting Started With SPIKE Essential (23:36) | Get started with the new LEGO Education SPIKE Essential system, successor of the WeDo 2.0 system. | Updated July, 2022 |
| My first 10 LEGO SPIKE Essential original models (3:08) | Here are the first 10 original models that I designed with the LEGO Education SPIKE Essential set 45345. For a longer review about that set, check this out: | Updated July, 2022 |
Topic: FLL Explore Demos[back to Topics]
| Title Link | Description | Updated |
|---|---|---|
| Demos from other FLL Explore teams | ||
| FLL Jr 2018 - Explaining what they built (3:29) | Team Drippi explaining the poster and the lego model they built | Updated 2019 |
| Himalayan Hacker Junior FLL Jr. (9:31) | First LEGO League of Himalayan Hacker Junior Team | Updated 2019 |
| First Lego League Jr Presentation - Team #970 (14:39) | Wise School Team #970 project presentation at the First Lego League Jr Expo in Houston April 2017 | Updated 2019 |
Topic: FLL Explore Festivals[back to Topics]
| Title Link | Description | Updated |
|---|---|---|
| Discusses FLL Explore Festivals | Updated 2019 | |
| Planning a FIRST ® LEGO® League Explore Festival | This document explains how to run a FLL Jr. EXPO event. | Updated 2019 |
| FLL Explore Festival Volunteer Role Positions | Discussion of all the volunteer role positions. | Updated 2019 |