Ask a seasoned FIRST LEGO League coach what makes a great team, and they rarely lead with robot scores—they talk about how the kids treat each other.
The FLL core values are the heart of the FIRST LEGO League program. They define how students are expected to learn, build, and compete, and in the Challenge division they are formally judged alongside the robot. For families weighing whether robotics is the right fit, understanding these values is the clearest window into what your child will actually gain from the experience.
What Are the FLL Core Values?
FIRST LEGO League names six core values that every team is encouraged to embody throughout a season:
- Discovery — We explore new skills and ideas.
- Innovation — We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.
- Impact — We apply what we learn to improve our world.
- Inclusion — We respect each other and embrace our differences.
- Teamwork — We are stronger when we work together.
- Fun — We enjoy and celebrate what we do!
These six values sit on top of two broader philosophies that run through every FIRST program: Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition. Gracious Professionalism means competing hard while treating opponents with kindness and respect. Coopertition captures the idea that teams can—and should—help one another even as they compete for the same awards. Together, they signal that how students win matters as much as whether they win.
The exact wording, season themes, and award structures are refreshed by FIRST over time. Always confirm the current details on the official FIRST LEGO League site before your season begins.
How Core Values Are Used in Competition
FIRST LEGO League runs across three divisions for different ages—Discover for the youngest learners, Explore for elementary students, and Challenge for older students who design and program an autonomous robot. In the Challenge division, judging is split into several areas: the Robot Game, Robot Design, the Innovation Project, and Core Values. Core Values are evaluated as their own judged session and also woven through the others.
During the Core Values session, judges watch how a team collaborates, shares responsibility, includes every member, and handles pressure. There is a dedicated Core Values award, and the prestigious Champion's Award recognizes teams that excel across all areas—proof that a team cannot win at the highest level on robot performance alone. Age ranges, season formats, and rubrics change periodically, so check the FLL competition page and official resources for the current season.
Why This Matters Beyond the Tournament
The values map almost perfectly onto the habits that serve students far beyond robotics. Persistence through failed robot runs builds resilience. Researching a real-world problem for the Innovation Project teaches Impact. Sharing a small workspace with teammates of different skill levels teaches Inclusion in a way no lecture can. These are transferable strengths that show up later in research projects, group coursework, and college applications.
Helping Your Child Live the Core Values
Coaches and parents can nurture the FLL core values without turning every meeting into a lesson. A few practical habits go a long way:
- Let students own the robot. Adults who take over the building rob kids of Discovery and Innovation—and judges notice.
- Rotate roles. Give every member a turn at programming, building, and presenting so Inclusion and Teamwork are real, not slogans.
- Debrief failures kindly. Treat a missed mission as data, not blame. This is Gracious Professionalism in miniature.
- Celebrate other teams. Encourage students to congratulate rivals and share spare parts—the essence of Coopertition.
A team that internalizes these values often improves faster than one chasing points, because members keep showing up, keep iterating, and keep trusting each other.
At BIAA, we treat the core values as the foundation of strong technical work, not a separate checklist. Our coaches help students build genuine engineering skill while practicing the collaboration and integrity that FIRST rewards. If your child is ready to start—or to level up an existing team—explore our robotics program to see how structured coaching turns these values into habits. You can also browse other STEM competitions we support, or reach out through the BIAA homepage to find the right starting point for your family.