The Robotics North Society, the organization that helps facilitate FIRST Lego League (FLL) in the Yukon, has been given the Stem Equity Community Grant from FIRST International for close to $50,000 USD.

The grant program began in 2016 and, as of 2019, had awarded 47 grants across the United States and Canada.

Leanne Watson, the president of Robotics North Society and mentor to the Yukon's premier FIRST Lego League team, said the grant is given to people who may experience challenges in demographics, location and access to funds.

"We put in our proposal a few months ago," said Watson. "In our application, we talked about our access to other teams, what it looks like on a bigger scale, that's a limitation for us; getting to competitions and growing it."

The first FLL team competed in 2019. In 2020, six teams joined the fold and competed in the inaugural Whitehorse FIRST Lego League qualifying championship - the winner, The Yukon All Sparks, and reserve champion, the Faro Brick Breakers, earned spots at the BC Provincial Championships in Victoria.

In the grant application, Watson outlined who Robotics North Society would help continue to grow FLL in the territory.

"In our application, we put that we wanted three FLL junior teams," said Watson. "That can start at four years old, it's the elementary years."

FLL Junior is an introduction to stem programs to ignite a child's curiosity and builds habits of learning with hands-on activities.

Watson said Robotics North Society has begun reaching out to schools.

"A FIRST team in the schools covers 144 kids," said Watson. "We have reached out to a few schools. We are hoping they will take it up with us and we will help with the mentoring and training."

When Watson began FLL, her goal was to get 10 teams in the territory. Part of the grant will help grow four new teams.

"We will have enough money to support four new FLL teams, so what we've been doing all along," said Watson.

"This year might be less because of COVID. I know of four teams that are going to do it this year but they are going to do it in their family units."

Watson explained that the hope is that the four new teams will be community-based.

"Maybe there is a community centre, or a church group, anywhere there are kids that can't pay $1,000 out of pocket to start a team," said Watson.

"Hopefully we can support community groups to start them. Right now we have teams that have families that can afford it and have the ability to run it in their basement or their garage.

"That doesn't work for everybody. We would like to see community groups do it so any kid can join an FLL team and it's just more accessible that way. The more kids in robotics, the better."

She continued to say that having community teams involved would be massive, as only having families currently doing it limits the involvement of other kids.

Watson said the grant will help teams with registration, cover the use of a robot for the year they are registered, and help with any other expenses that may arise.

Lastly, and the most exciting to Watson, is the ability to help high school-aged kids get involved.

"We have enough funds to start four FIRST Tech Challenge teams," said Watson. "These kids make their own robots. There is a kit with electronics and a motor but other than that, they design their robot using their own imagination."

Like FLL junior, Watson said Robotics North Society will reach out to high school teachers or mentors who would be interested in running a team.

"We will be letting them know what we have to offer and how we can help," said Watson.

The FLL season is just around the corner with teams receiving their boards, project questions and theme in August.

Although she couldn't say for sure, Watson was sure that the theme would centre around exercise and physical activity.

At a competition, teams compete in three categories. There are robot games, where the robot they designed tries to complete a series of missions on a board.

Next is the project, where teams try to find a solution to a problem in the context of that year's theme. Last year, the theme was City Shaper.

The All Sparks project was an intermediate playground improvement at École Whitehorse Elementary School. The Brick Breakers focused on improving Fisheye Lake.

Finally, teams are judged on core values, where teams demonstrate teamwork, inclusion, innovation, discovery, impact and fun.

Because of COVID-19, Watson said, this season is going to look different, but they are full-steam-ahead regardless.

"We just got off a meeting with FIRST B.C. some of the things they have been exploring has been pushing the competitions as far back as they can," said Watson.

"We are going to make it work no matter what, even if we have to do it over Zoom, or if things are feeling like they are now we might be able to do a distance scrimmage."

In the summer, Robotics North Society has hosted a robotics summer camp but that will not be happening this year because the instructors come from Ontario. However, Watson said they are exploring smaller options.