Josh Gahm, parent-coach of the Cabot Elementary School caBOTs, is working with NewtonSTEM to create a forum for FIRST Lego League (FLL) coaches in Newton.  If you’re a current or former FLL coach — or if you’re interested in becoming one — please email FLL@newtonstem.org to let us know who you are.

FLL promotes inspiring, educational robotics competitions among teams of children 9-14 years old worldwide.   For several years, various FLL teams have sprung up in Newton, hosted by elementary and middle schools, after-school programs, or parents in their homes.  There’s a continuing need for more FLL teams in Newton, judging from inquiries received by NewtonSTEM.  The constraint seems to be the number of adults volunteering to coach.  You don’t need to be a STEM expert to coach; you need a knack for managing small groups of children.  Paul Barbone, former parent-coach of the Oak Hill FLL MegaOHMS, has written a very informative memo for new coaches, Introduction to Coaching a FIRST Lego Team (PDF).  Let’s get focused on how we can recruit and support new FLL coaches.