FIRST LEGO League 2026–2027 in Westchester: BIOGLOW Guide

Office WCDC
Aug 11
3 min read

The 2026–2027 FIRST LEGO League season is called BIOGLOW. Westchester students will explore the vibrancy of ecosystems while developing robotics, coding, research, presentation and teamwork skills. Families must also choose between Founders Edition, which uses LEGO Education SPIKE technology, and Future Edition, which uses the newer Computer Science & AI kits.

Here is what Westchester parents need to know before selecting a class or team.

What is the FLL 2026-2027 Theme?

BIOGLOW is part of the broader FIRST CANOPY season. Teams will explore ecosystems and consider how living systems interact, adapt and flourish.

FIRST released the season materials in August 2026. The official BIOGLOW page includes videos, engineering notebooks, building instructions, game rules and event resources. Parents and coaches should use these official materials as their source of truth because rules and regional details may change during the season.

View the official BIOGLOW season resources.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g9kl7xb8nU

What is the difference between Founders and Future Edition?

For 2026–2027, FIRST offers two FLL formats:

Founders Edition Explore serves grades 2–4 and continues with existing LEGO Education technology.
Founders Edition Challenge serves grades 4–8 and uses SPIKE technology, including SPIKE Prime.
Future Edition offers programs for grades K–2 and grades 3–8 using LEGO Education Computer Science & AI kits.
Regional event availability and format may differ, so families should confirm which edition their local team will enter.

FIRST’s updated registration process asks teams to select an edition based on the equipment they use. SPIKE Essential or SPIKE Prime teams select Founders Edition; Computer Science & AI kit teams select Future Edition. Review the official registration explanation.

Is 2026–2027 the final FIRST LEGO League season?

Yes. FIRST announced that LEGO Education will not renew the partnership agreement and that 2026–2027 will be the final FIRST LEGO League season.

That does not reduce the value of participating. Students can still gain practical experience in programming, engineering design, project research, public speaking and collaborative problem-solving. FIRST is also developing future K–8 robotics programs, so the underlying skills remain highly transferable.

What does an FLL Challenge team actually do?

An FLL Challenge season is more than building a robot. Students generally work across four connected areas:

Robot design: Build a reliable robot and attachments.
Robot game: Program the robot to complete missions.
Innovation Project: Investigate a real problem connected to the season theme.
Core Values: Demonstrate teamwork, discovery, inclusion, innovation, impact and fun.

A strong program gives students meaningful responsibility. Coaches guide the process, but the students should be able to explain their design decisions, code, testing process and project solution.

Where can Westchester students prepare for FLL?

WCDC in Hartsdale offers Saturday LEGO and robotics pathways for students at different readiness levels, including introductory FLL preparation, team-based FLL Challenge work and an introduction to FTC for older students.

Families should ask:

Is this a skills class or a registered competition team?
Which FLL edition and equipment will the students use?
What grade and experience level is expected?
How much work will students complete independently?
Are event registration and competition fees included?
What happens if the regional event format changes?

When should a child begin preparing?

August and September are ideal for team formation, skill assessment and learning the season rules. During the fall, teams normally move into robot strategy, coding, iterative testing and Innovation Project research. Competition preparation becomes more intensive as regional events approach.

Children who are new to SPIKE Prime can benefit from an introductory period before joining a competition team. Students should be comfortable building, following code logic, troubleshooting and collaborating before they are expected to perform under tournament conditions.

Next step for Westchester families

WCDC serves families from Hartsdale, Scarsdale, Edgemont, White Plains, Greenburgh and surrounding Westchester communities.

Contact WCDC to discuss your child’s grade, prior robotics experience and readiness for the 2026–2027 BIOGLOW season.