FIRST^® LEGO^® League Challenge
2025 FIRST^® Championship Update

Hi Friend,

Coming to you from FIRST^® LEGO^® League Headquarters in Manchester, NH, USA.   

Welcome World Festival Teams: 

This is the second email blast for the FIRST^® LEGO^® League Challenge World Festival at the 2025 FIRST^® Championship presented by BAE Systems in Houston, TX, USA.

From April 16-19, teams from around the world will be together in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Many activities are in the works to encourage teams to visit and support the other FIRST programs – we will share information about these activities with you in the coming weeks.   

If your team recently registered for the event – welcome! If you missed our previous email, you can find it here.  

We’ll be sharing important event information in these email blasts. Please read ALL provided information as it may pertain to your team and/or travel arrangements. 

What’s New? 

Team Pit Space 
Your team will be assigned to an 8-foot x 8-foot (2.4 meters x 2.4 meters) space which will be your home at the World Festival. Each space will have one standard-sized table and two chairs. Short pipes and drapes will frame the space on three sides, but any decorations you bring must be supported with a structure you bring or create. You may decorate it in a way to showcase your country, state, your Innovation Project, and/or your unique and fun team identity. 

🤖 Decorate within your pit space. Also, consider 10 feet (3 meters) as a height limit as well. For safety reasons, your decorations must remain within this space. 10-foot x 10-foot tents are not allowed due to the size of the pit spaces. 

🤖 You will have access to 1, 120-volt electrical outlet. We encourage you to bring an extension cord and a power strip for you to plug in multiple devices simultaneously.  

🤖 Please do NOT bring or use helium balloons or open flames. No team should cook or prepare food in the pit area. 

Consent and Release Forms  
Every adult coach and mentor, and every student on your team must complete a Consent and Release form by April 2, 2025. For information on how to complete your forms, please review your Welcome Letter that you received from fllwf@firstinpires.org. 

Please note that this form is required for every student on your team, and the form must be signed by a legal parent or guardian, or the student may not be able to participate in the event. Coaches or mentors may not complete the form for team members unless they are the legal parent or guardian of the team members. 

Important Reminders:

Event Guide and Schedule 
Teams are expected to arrive and set up their pits on Wednesday, April 16.  

Wednesday, April 16:

🤖 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Team Check-in and Pit Set-up 

🤖 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Coaches’ Meeting 

🤖 4:30 p.m. – Pits Close 

The FIRST Championship Event Guide is your downloadable, printable guide to our event at the George R. Brown Convention Center, including notable happenings, safety information and event logistics. Be sure to review the guide and the FIRST LEGO League Challenge addendum, which will be updated regularly leading up to the event.  

2025 FIRST Championship Team Housing  
A personalized hotel booking link will be sent to each team separately. All teams must book their hotel rooms through FIRST Housing. For more information, please review the FIRST Championship Hotel Program Update.  

Register for the Encore Celebration! 
The Encore is a celebration for all teams on Saturday, April 19. Each team will be assigned two Alliance Partners and together, will play a robot game that will be released on site. Bring your robots, computers, extra parts, and SUBMERGED^SM Challenge sets.

Join us for lots of fun, tons of Gracious Professionalism^®, and Core Values in what has become a legendary part of FIRST LEGO League World Festival! This is for bragging rights only — game on, everyone! 

To participate in the encore, please complete this form by Monday, March 31, 2025.  

Action May be Required – Traveling Abroad? 
To request the VISA Invitation letter, please use the Visa Letter Form. This is for anyone who plans on attending any of the FIRST Championship with your team.  

This invitation letter acts as a supporting document for your appointment at your local U.S. Embassy. FIRST does not assist with the VISA application process and cannot provide guidance for which VISA schedule one qualifies for; kindly check in with your local Embassy.

You can also view the Department of State VISA categories here to determine your eligibility on your own. For clarifying questions, please email mlewis@firstinspires.org. 

We’re looking forward to seeing you soon in Houston!

Stay tuned for our next email on Wednesday, March 12, which will contain more important information about the event.  

Countdown to the FIRST Championship – 49 days!