STEM Academy Robotics Team advances to the 2026 FIRST® LEGO® League Wisconsin Championship

Six students from the Fond du Lac STEM Academy, competing under the team name Fondy Fire Fish, have earned a coveted spot at the 2026 FIRST® LEGO® League Wisconsin Championship,
taking place January 18, 2026, at Sun Prairie West High School.

The Fondy Fire Fish join other top-performing teams from across Wisconsin, and represent roughly the top 10% ranked FLL Challenge teams statewide.

FIRST LEGO League Challenge immerses students in grades 4–8 in real-world engineering, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Teams design, build, and program autonomous LEGO robots to earn points by completing missions on an official game field, while also being evaluated on an Innovation Project and the FIRST Core
Values, which include teamwork, inclusion, respect, Coopertition® and Gracious Professionalism®.

From November through December 2025, teams competed at regional tournaments across Wisconsin, where certified judges evaluated robot performance, design, coding, teamwork, and research. At the robot game table, teams raced the clock to earn their highest possible score.

The Fire Fish have spent countless hours devising game strategy, designing their own LEGO robot, and coding ten autonomous robot missions on the game field.

For the Innovation Project, teams spent up to three months researching a real-world problem connected to this season’s theme, UNEARTHED, which focuses on archaeology and uncovering human history.

At the competition, teams participated in a series of judging sessions that included a five-minute Innovation Project presentation, a discussion of their robot design and programming process, and time for questions and feedback from judges.

The Fondy Fire Fish Innovation Project focuses on a system of adjustable plastic panels that archaeologists could use at sandy dig sites to prevent the sides of the pit from collapsing.

Coach Erin Stoffel says, “The students consulted with civil engineers, archaeologists, and a patent examiner to get feedback on their project.

Giving the team the opportunity to collaborate with professionals in real STEM careers is an amazing part of this project.”

At the Lakeshore Regional Tournament, the team earned the first place Robot Design Award, qualifying them for the Oak Creek Sectional Tournament. Their performance at sectionals then earned them 5th place in the robot game, another first place Robot Design Award, and secured them an invitation to the FIRST LEGO League Wisconsin Championship.

At the Wisconsin Championship, teams compete for awards and for advancement to national-level invitationals. The top two teams in the state will also earn an invitation to the 2026 FIRST
Championship, held April 29–May 2, 2026, in Houston, Texas.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) inspires young people to become leaders and innovators through engaging, mentor-based robotics programs. Students gain STEM skills, confidence, teamwork experience, and leadership abilities that last a lifetime.