Dear AMS Families,
We’re excited to invite your student to join the Aspen Middle School Robotics Program for the 2025–26 season! This year brings new opportunities for learning, creativity, and teamwork in our expanding program.
What’s New This Year?
Larger Dedicated Robotics Space: AMS Robotics is moving into a bigger, improved room that will give teams more space to design, build, test, and collaborate.
Alumni Mentorship: Students will get guidance from past FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competitors who know what it takes to succeed.
Better Continuity Across Grades: We're strengthening the pathway from elementary through high school so students can build skills each year with consistent support.
The 2025–26 FLL Season: Unearthed
This year’s FIRST LEGO League Challenge theme is Unearthed, where students explore discovering, recovering, and preserving Earth’s resources. Teams will research a real-world problem, design an innovative solution, and build and program LEGO SPIKE Prime robots to solve themed missions on a challenge mat.
Learn about the Unearthed theme here:
Practice Schedule and Format
Our competition teams typically meet 2–4 times per week as tournaments approach. Practices include:
Robot design and programming
Innovation Project research and presentation development
Core Values teamwork exercises
Strategy sessions and troubleshooting
We’ll also offer drop-in sessions during the first few weeks for students new to robotics or not sure if they want to commit to the full competition season. In September, every student will be matched to a competition team for the duration of the season. The Qualifier Tournament will be in November, and the State Championships are in December - exact dates TBD.
Free Coding and Design Activities for Summer
Students can stay sharp and have fun with these free online tools over the summer:
Code.org – Block-based and text-based coding for all levels: https://code.org
Scratch – Visual coding platform for creating interactive stories, games, and animations: https://scratch.mit.edu/
LEGO CAD Design – For Mac users, try LEGO’s digital building software to design models virtually: https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio/download.page
We Need Volunteers – Join Our Team!
Our program’s success relies on dedicated community support. We’re especially looking for help in:
Fundraising and Community Engagement: Organize events that raise funds and build awareness and support for robotics in Aspen.
Engineering and Design Mentorship: Support students with mechanical design, documentation, and problem-solving.
Coding Support: Help students program their LEGO SPIKE Prime robots—no experience level is too small!
Project Management Mentorship: Teach students how to plan, set goals, and work as a team.
Presentation Coaching: Help teams improve their research presentations so they’re clear, professional, and engaging.
We’re committed to making volunteering easy and impactful by offering onboarding materials and resources. Even a few hours a month can make a big difference!
If you’re interested in volunteering or want to learn more about AMS Robotics, please reply to this email!
Let’s work together to make this our best season yet!
Thank you for your support,
George Helfenstine (he/him)
MYP Year 2 Sciences Teacher, Aspen Middle School
Middle School Robotics Coach
Dear Aspen Families of 4th–7th Graders,
We’re excited to invite your student to join the 2025 - 2026 season of FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL)—a fun, hands-on after-school robotics program where students explore science, technology, and teamwork through real-world challenges.
This year’s theme, UNEARTHED™, is part of the new FIRST® AGE™ season, where students will dive into the mysteries of archaeology and unearth how the past shapes the future. Learn more about the season here:
FIRST LEGO League Season – Unearthed™
What is FLL?
FLL is a globally recognized STEM program where students:
Design and build LEGO® robots to complete missions on a game board
Research and present solutions to real-world problems
Work as a team to develop communication, critical thinking, and leadership skills
Each season is guided by the FIRST Core Values: discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork, and fun.
After-School Club Details
Who: Aspen School District students in grades 5th–8th
When: Meets up to 4 times per week after school (students may attend 2–4 times based on availability)
Where: Aspen Middle School robotics classroom
Season Start: Mid-August 2025
Competitions: November 2025 (qualifier); December 2025 (State Championships)
This is a flexible, supportive club environment where students of all experience levels are welcome. Whether your child wants to join a couple times a week or dive in four days a week, we have a place for them to learn and grow.
Practice at Home, Anytime
Help your student explore robotics and coding from home with these free platforms:
microblocks.fun: Block-based coding for physical computing
Scratch: Drag-and-drop coding for games and animations
Tynker: Interactive coding challenges and tutorials
Hard and Soft Skills Students Build
Hard Skills:
Programming logic and problem-solving
Engineering design and robotics
Presentation skills and research techniques
Soft Skills:
Collaboration and communication
Resilience through iteration and feedback
Time management and leadership
Supported by the Aspen Education Foundation
This program is made possible through the generous support of the Aspen Education Foundation (AEF). Thanks to AEF, we are able to provide robotics opportunities that inspire students to explore STEM fields in meaningful and engaging ways.
Ready to Get Started?
Spaces fill quickly—don’t miss out! Please complete this short survey to stay informed and indicate your interest for the 2025-2026 school year!
Let’s dig into the past and build the future—together!
Warmly,
George Helfenstine (he/him)
MYP Year 2 Sciences Teacher, Aspen Middle School
Middle School Robotics Coach