At least 15 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics teams made up of students in grades four through eight from schools around the Kitsap Peninsula and Edmonds will converge at the Bainbridge High School gymnasium Saturday, Dec. 5 to compete in the 2015 FIRST Lego League Trash Trek Challenge, a district-wide robotics competition hosted by the Bainbridge High Spartronics Team 4915.

Opening ceremonies are at 12:30 p.m. and the competition is expected to last until 3 p.m.

The competition is free and open to the public.

The 15 teams competing at Bainbridge High are part of a worldwide competition involving 233,000 children, ages 9 to 16, from over 80 countries.

This is the first time Bainbridge High has hosted a FIRST Robotics event, team officials said.

“This year’s FIRST Lego League challenge helps students explore the fascinating world of trash,” said Spartronics Head Coach Enrique Chee, head of the science department and a physics teacher at Bainbridge High. “From collecting trash to sorting it, learning about smart production and reuse, students are learning that there is more to your trash than you think.”

Spartronics Team 4915 has enjoyed tremendous community support since its inception three years ago, and went to the FIRST Robotics Competition World Championships its first two years as a team, placing most recently in the top 7 percent of all high school level robotics teams in the world.

Lego League Robotics is part of FIRST, a nonprofit organization started by renowned inventor Dean Kamen and MIT Professor Woody Flowers. FIRST provides accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology and engineering.