Saturday, September 20, 2025

The Quad Cities Engineering & Science Council (QCESC) is excited to support the 11th Quad Cities FIRST LEGO League Challenge Kickoff! The event is being hosted by our long-term partner, the Putnam Museum & Science Center in Davenport, Iowa.

FIRST LEGO League Challenge teams from Iowa and Illinois including students, coaches and mentors are cordially invited to attend this FREE Kickoff for the 2025-2026 UNEARTHED™ Challenge season.

The Kickoff offers a fun, interactive opportunity to connect with other teams and FIRST® volunteers while learning key FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge information. Attendees will gain innovation project guidance from event speakers and partner organizations to support teams in selecting a research project aligned with UNEARTHED™, exploring the past to discover the future. A competition robot field will be set up, with the State of Iowa Head Referee on hand to demonstrate, answer questions, and provide expert insights.

To attend and participate, please register using the links below with further details following.

Our keynote speaker will be Christina Kastell, Curator of History and Anthropology at the Putnam Museum and Science Center. In addition to the King Tut exhibit and the Putnam Vault exhibit, listeners will get a sneak peek into the museum’s expansive collection, with access to items that have been stored away, showcasing a richer tapestry of history than many might expect. The Putnam Museum and Science Center is thrilled to announce a multi-year project to bring a full adult Triceratops skeleton to the Quad Cities – making it the only location in Iowa to showcase a complete dinosaur fossil. Excavation is currently underway in Wyoming, with a team from the Putnam and local community joining the Dino Expedition. In partnership with Leap Lab, the project will include bone preparation, fabrication of missing pieces, and ongoing public engagement through live updates, a community naming contest, and interactive experiences like a dino lab. The skeleton is expected to be installed in 2027 as a permanent addition to the museum’s collection, inspiring curiosity and lifelong learning for generations to come. https://www.putnam.org/putnam-dino-expedition/

The kickoff will include:

Opening session in the Putnam Theater with our keynote speaker providing insights on his year’s challenge. In addition, information on Iowa and Illinois qualifiers will be shared.
A FIRST LEGO League Challenge field with the State of Iowa head referee to help demonstrate and answer questions.
Session for coaches and mentors which is particularly helpful for new volunteers.
Displays from all FIRST programs including FIRST LEGO League Discover, FIRST LEGO League Explore, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition.
Breakout sessions on Innovation Project, Core Values, Programming, and Strategy, Locomotion and Navigation from top FIRST teams with questions & answers

To help ensure we have adequate space and materials, all FIRST LEGO League Challenge teams (students, coaches, mentors and parents), event volunteers, and people supporting Kickoff displays must pre-register and provide signed consent forms when checking in as outlined below.

Event Date & Time:
Saturday, September 20, 2025
8:00 AM – 12:05 PM (see draft schedule below)

Location:
Putnam Museum & Science Center
1717 W. 12th Street
Davenport, Iowa

Schedule of Events:

Time	Event	Location
8:00 – 8:20	Team & Volunteer Check-in	Main Entrance
8:30 – 9:30	Opening with Speakers, Team Introductions, and FLL Insights	Theater
9:35 – 10:05	Breakout Session 1	See Locations Below
	Professional Displays	Grand Lobby
10:10-10:55	Coach / Mentor Pro-Tips	Theater
	Robot Game Setup and Q&A with FLL Referees	Grand Lobby
	UNEARTHED™ – Putnam	Grand Lobby
	FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge	Grand Lobby Demos
	FLL Explore and FLL Discover-Iowa State Univ	Grand Lobby Demos
11:00 – 11:30	Breakout Session 2	See Locations Below
11:35 – 12:05	Breakout Session 3	See Locations Below
12:05	Event Concludes

A recommended strategy is to have your team divide up so you can attend more breakout sessions and speak with more professionals.

Breakout Sessions for FLL Students, Coaches and Mentors

Topic	SPIKE Prime Programming	Core Values	Project	Strategy, Locomotion, Navigation
Location	Theater	Immerse East	Immerse West	Fab Lab
9:35 – 10:05	Session 1	Session 1	Session 1	Session 1
11:00 – 11:30	Session 2	Session 2	Session 2	Session 2
11:35 – 12:05	Session 3	Session 3	Session 3	Session 3

Key FLL Challenge Resources

What’s FIRST LEGO League Video
FIRST LEGO League – Be a Leader (Coach or Mentor) Video (length – 1:27)
(note includes members of Quad Cities Flourish and Bots FLL Team)
State of Iowa FIRST LEGO League Information
- If further questions, e-mail to: fll@iastate.edu
State of Illinois FIRST LEGO League Information
- If further questions, e-mail to: fll-challenge@firstillinoisrobotics.org
Photos from: