Students to Compete at NH FIRST LEGO League Explore Festival
Bedford, NH – Bedford Academy, an independent, STEAM-inspired elementary school, has been selected as a member of the 2026 Inspire the Future: FIRST® Recognition Program School cohort. It is one of 15 schools from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Turkey recognized in this way for its commitment to expanding access to FIRST programs within its learning community.
“Bedford Academy is overwhelmed to be one of the schools selected by FIRST from across the globe for this honor. This recognition speaks to the dedication of our entire teaching staff to advancing student knowledge through our hands-on and multidisciplinary approach,” says Roxanne Molina, PhD, owner of Bedford Academy. “We intentionally plan STEAM-related activities throughout our curriculum and FIRST provides us with both practical and creative ways for students to explore these important concepts.”
Along with delivering FIRST programming for students across grade levels, Bedford Academy has participated in FIRST NH LEGO League events for several years. In December 2025, Bedford Academy’s two robotics teams qualified for the FIRST LEGO League Challenge state competition. Even as some of the youngest competitors present, these teams also competed in the innovation project portion of the event, with one team receiving the Judges’ Award at the qualifier.
On Sunday, March 22, the school’s second and third grade students will participate in the NH FIRST LEGO League Explore Festival. These robotics teams will have the opportunity to showcase their current FIRST projects. They will demonstrate how their motorized LEGO models move or solve a problem, along with presenting posters that detail their research and design processes.
Bedford Academy students in this division have won the Challenge Award, which honors the best solution to a selected problem, for the past three years.
“The entire Beford Academy community is rooting for our second and third grade competitors,” Molina says. “The learning strides they have made in STEAM this season are amazing. They are already winners in our eyes.”
For more information about Bedford Academy, visit bedfordacademy.org. Details about the FIRST NH LEGO League are online at firstnh.org.
About Bedford Academy
Located in Bedford, New Hampshire, Bedford Academy is a private, independent, STEAM-inspired (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) elementary school serving students in pre-school through grade six. Its programs are designed to educate the whole child, and its multidisciplinary, STEAM-inspired curriculum delivers personalized learning experiences within small class sizes.
Selected as one of 15 schools globally to be honored with a 2026 Inspire the Future: FIRST® Recognition Program School cohort membership for its integrative FIRST programming, Bedford Academy was also a 2025 Best of the 603 Award winner in the Elementary School category.
Bedford Academy’s teaching staff is committed to the school’s core values of innovation, inquiry, academic excellence, compassion, fitness, and leadership, and to recognizing the unique potential for success of every child.
For additional information, visit bedfordacademy.org.
