Local Robotics Team to be Recognized Globally.

Buffalo Grove, IL: FIRST® LEGO® League announced 20 finalist teams that would advance to the 2021 FIRST® Global Innovation Awards powered by Star Wars: Force for Change. Blazing Stars, from Buffalo Grove, Illinois was selected from entries from around the world for their outstanding solution that demonstrated innovation and the potential to add significant value in the world. Blazing Stars for the RePLAY℠ season has invented Ultra Blaze-a low cost training skateboard equipped with object detection and warning system which provides an opportunity to visually impaired children in the age group of 8-12 years to explore the world of skateboarding with renewed confidence.

During the Replay Season teams were challenged to design a creative new piece of technology or improve an existing one to solve people not being active enough. Blazing Stars will join other finalists from FIRST® Tech Challenge and FIRST® Robotics Competition in a remote event to showcase their solution, participate in workshops, be judged by experts, and be mentored by industry leaders June 28 – 30.

On June 30 at 2:30 p.m. ET on the FIRSTtv Twitch channel, the Global Innovation Awards will culminate with an awards show broadcast. The winning team will be awarded experiential, one-of-a kind prizes from sponsors, including mentorship with top industry experts. Additional awards will be given live to where runners up, an Innovation Impact Award, Implementation Award, and Create Award. All teams will receive Star Wars: Force for Change commemorative items, designed exclusively and available only to participants of the 2021 FIRST Global Innovation Awards.

Teams participating in the FIRST Global Innovation Awards must consider possible barriers to implementation, document the evaluation of their invention, and validate their design with professionals working in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).FIRST LEGO League is an international program for 9 to 16-year-old children (ages vary by country) created in a partnership between FIRST and the LEGO Group in 1998 to get children excited about science and technology – and teach them valuable career and life skills. Children work alongside adult coaches to design, build, and program autonomous robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS® and create an innovative solution to a real-world problem as part of their research project.

The 2021 Global Innovation Awards powered by Star Wars: Force for Change are sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton, Cheddar News, Collins Aerospace, John Deere, and LEGO Education and in collaboration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

About Blazing Stars
Blazing Stars- a Community based team was formed in 2017 with the help of dedicated parents, and community members with a common goal of challenging students to problem solve and think creatively like engineers; preparing them for productive, fulfilling lives through collaborative learning. Since 2017 Blazing Stars has been sponsored by companies such as Culver’s Lincolnshire (2018-2019), Top Daycare Centers ( 2017-till date) and Villas of Manchester Green, Buffalo Grove IL (2017-till date). For the 2020-2021 FIRST LEGO League Challenge RePlay season Blazing Stars was awarded the ARCO Murray/Bike Ride kids grant.

Blazing Stars is coached by Mrs.Juneja (Mrs.J) a retired Chicago Public School science teacher and current science tutor at Adlai Stevenson High School. The team is mentored by Daksh Guard- a 2020-2021 Adlai Stevenson High School graduate, 2025-Purdue University Indiana, and Pratham Perumalla middle schooler from Aptakisic Junior High School.

Being a small community team the three team members attend different middle schools. Isha Guard with three years of robotic experience attends Twin Grove Middle School-CCSD 96; whereas Atishay Patni with 2 years of experience and Pratyush Kumar the youngest with a year experience under his belt attend Aptakisic Junior High-CCSD 102

Cheer and support Blazing Stars by watching the Global Innovation Award on June 30 at 2:30 p.m. ET on the FIRSTtv Twitch channel. Contact Blazing Stars at gkjunejafll@gmail.com or follow us at @blazingstars2017 and Instagram @blazingstars17

Vote for Team Blazing Stars and help them win the First Lego League Challenge Community Choice Award-2021 FIRST #GlobalInnovationAwards by voting for them. For more information click below:

FLLChallengeCommunityChoiceAward

About FIRST®

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $80 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League for Grades 4-8; and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. for Grades K-4. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.firstinspires.org.