FIRST LEGO League Summer Camp registration now open!

McKinney STEAM Academy & FIRST Inspires

FIRST Inspires & the McKinney STEAM Academy

FIRST Inspires is an international non-profit organization that facilitates robotics competitions for students from elementary through high school. FIRST in Texas is our local arm of FIRST Inspires.

All McKinney STEAM Academy robotics teams are registered with and compete with FIRST Inspires and FIRST in Texas. Additionally, the MSA hosts events on behalf of FIRST Inspires for coaches and students.

McKinney STEAM Academy has teams at all three levels of FIRST competitions: FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, FIRST Robotics Competition.

FIRST® LEGO® League

Grades: 4-8 *a limited number of our teams will take students In 2nd and 3rd grades

Applications: May - Aug (or roster full)

Off Season: June-July

Regular Season: August-January

Championship Season: February

FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is a dynamic robotics competition merging LEGO building with real-world problem-solving. Teams of youngsters collaborate to construct and program autonomous robots using LEGO Mindstorms kits for themed field missions.

FLL integrates research and presentation elements, prompting teams to tackle real-world issues and suggest inventive solutions. It fosters STEM skills, teamwork, critical thinking, and creativity, empowering young minds as tomorrow's innovators.

Learn More / Signup

MSA 2024 FLL Teams

27116 Mercenary Friends

27183 Mercenaries II

28813 Curious Dream Weavers

50491 The Mercenary Dragons

51620 Mercenary Ninja Cats

54586 Techometer Titans

60680 Lego Masterminds

60892 Brick Mercenaries

61002 Mercs Tech Tigers

61724 Mighty Mercs

66072 Mercenary Sunken Sub

66453 Mercenaries in Training

67119 Mercenary Wolf Pack

FIRST® Tech Challenge

Grades: 6-12

Applications: May - Sept (or roster full)

Off Season: June-Aug

Regular Season: Sept-Dec

Championship Season: Jan-Feb

FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) provides hands-on robot design, building, and programming experience. Teams collaborate using a versatile kit, incorporating advanced technologies like sensors and motors. Matches on the competition field challenge robots' autonomy and driver control.

FTC prioritizes teamwork, sportsmanship, and professionalism, nurturing future engineers passionate about innovation and problem-solving.

Learn More / Signup

MSA 2024 FTC Teams

17011 Mercenary Robotics

18121 MiT - Mercenaries in Training

20166 Mercenary Penguins

20195 Metal Mercenaries

21743 Mercenary Apprentice

26295 Mercenary Turtles

26589 MSA Panthers

FIRST® Robotics Competition

Grades: 9-12

Applications: June - Dec (or roster full)

Off Season: June-Dec

Regular Season: Jan-March

Championship Season: April

FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) increases the scale and complexity of the robots and competitions. FRC is designed for high school students and involves larger teams building robots weighing up to 125 pounds, competing on expansive fields in alliances of three teams each. The challenges in FRC are intricate and typically involve multiple objectives, requiring advanced engineering and strategic planning.

Our FRC students typically custom fabricate most of their robot learning CAD, CNC, laser, powder coating, and basic power tool skills in the process.

Learn More / Signup