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A total of 39 teams made up of children ages 9 to 14 built robots out of LEGOs to simulate solutions to real life challenges, including global warming and the need to find alternative energy sources.

Half the teams will move on to the championship where students from every borough will vie for the top spot.

The teams are judged in four areas: technical design, research, performance in the arena and teamwork, which in FIRST is just as important as the science.

"They get to interact with real-life engineers and experts in order to guide them along their path," said Mark Sharfshteyn of the NYC First LEGO League.

"I now really engineering and robotics and I may go on to the tech league, which is robots like fighting," said Packer Collegiate Institute student Ben Beaumont.

Founded by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST aims to get kids interested in science and technology -- a goal which happens to be in league with President Barack Obama's own goals for education.

"These days with the things they see on TV, they see pop stars, they see rock stars, they see sports stars, but they don't see engineering stars and people that do real things out in the real world," Sharfshteyn said.

"I've learned that teamwork is more important than anything and if you work together as a team everything will go right," said Packer Collegiate Institute student Eliza Phillips.

NY1 and parent company Time Warner Cable are partners in supporting teen achievements in science and technology through the "Connect a Million Minds" initiative.

For more information, visit ConnectAMillionMinds.com.