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Palm BOT Squad encouraging young engineers to build big dreams, one LEGO brick at a time

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — You think LEGOs are just for play? Think again. In Central Palm Beach, a group of bright, curious, and unstoppable kids are proving that tiny plastic bricks can be the building blocks of big futures.

They call themselves the Palm BOT Squad — a super enthusiastic robotics team made up of kids ages 8 to 10 who are diving head-first into the first FIRST LEGO League Explore program. And when I say “diving,” I’m talking about coding, engineering, archaeology, and collaboration… all before most of us have had our first cup of coffee.

LEGO League: More than just robots 
The FIRST LEGO League isn't just about sticking bricks together — it's a full-on adventure in STEM. These young engineers design and program robots using LEGO® Education SPIKE Essential kits, applying critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork as they tackle themed challenges.

This season’s challenge? UNEARTHED℠
Inspired by archaeology, it pushes teams to dig into the past, uncover artifacts, trace their stories, and use those discoveries to imagine a better future. Along the way, the kids compete in four main areas:

  • Robotics Coding Tasks: Robots built and programmed to complete special missions.  
  • Robot Design: Judged on efficiency, durability, and smart coding.  
  • Core Values: Teamwork, discovery, innovation, inclusion, impact… and yes, fun.
  • Innovation Project: A themed research and presentation that blends science, creativity, and curiosity.  

Brick by brick, building leaders  
The Palm BOT Squad will showcase their models and ideas at festivals, competing against teams across the region. But while the events are exciting, the real magic is in the skills they’re building — skills that could lead to future careers in engineering, computer science, and beyond.

Community-powered innovation 
As a community team, Palm BOT Squad isn’t tied to one school. That means open access for kids from varied educational and cultural backgrounds, but it also means they rely on donations to cover things like registration fees, LEGO kits, display boards, and team t-shirts.

Support helps pay for:

  • Official league registration
  • LEGO Education equipment for the UNEARTHED℠ challenge  
  • Supplies for innovation projects  
  • Meeting space and safe storage for gear  
  • Educational field trips and guest speakers  
  • End-of-season celebrations honoring the kids’ hard work  

You can donate directly to the team’s efforts here.

What do you want me to Shine A Light on? What are you most proud of where you live? Email me at tawalker@wptv.com.

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