Coastal Carolina University will host the First LEGO League Qualifying Event on Friday, Jan. 11, in Williams-Brice Recreation Center from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nearly 200 area students, ages 9 through 14, will compete in 26 teams. The event is open to the public.

The robotics portion of the competition runs from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 4 p.m. in Kimbel Arena.

First LEGO League is a worldwide competition sponsored by the LEGO corporation and other companies and designed for elementary and middle school aged children. The First LEGO League is run by the nonprofit FIRST that seeks to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders.

During the event, teams compete in three main areas: a LEGO robot design and challenge competition, a research project on an original idea for helping senior citizens, and a team work activity.

As there are literally thousands of teams competing across the country, the overall tournament is broken down into a hierarchal regional structure.

The winners of this event will move on to the state level later this spring. "We anticipate a highly competitive atmosphere," said tournament director Louis Rubbo, assistant professor in CCU's Department of Chemistry and Physics.

Participating area middle schools include Aynor, Forestbrook, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, St. James and Whittemore Park. Elementary schools include Lakewood, Ocean Bay, Palmetto Bay, River Oaks, Socastee and St. Michael, as well as Waccamaw Intermediate and the Mitney Project in Georgetown.

For more information, contact Rubbo at lrubbo@coastal.edu or at 843-349-6489. You may also visit http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/fll or the South Carolina First LEGO League website at http://scrobotics.org.