Dolores Students Tackle Archaeology Theme at Lego League

A team of seven students from Dolores is heading into regional competition this month as part of the FIRST Lego League, where their robots and research will face challenges inspired by archaeology. The Bear Hands squad will travel to Escalante Middle School in Durango on Nov. 15 for a qualifier that offers the top teams a path to the state event in Denver on Dec. 6.

Students in fifth through eighth grade have been meeting twice a week after school since September at Dolores Elementary School to design, build and program Lego based robots that must slide, lift, push and pull to complete missions. Each team receives three two and a half minute matches to finish as many missions as possible. Beyond the game table, teams develop an innovation project in which they identify an archaeology problem, conduct research and propose solutions, sometimes including prototypes. Presentations to judges are followed by a question and answer session.

The team name drew on local identity and the season theme. “This year's Dolores team chose the punny name of ‘Bear Hands’ using the school's mascot and archeology theme as inspiration,” Coach Chantel Otteson told The Journal. “They even designed a team logo with each symbol standing for different values they strive to project like teamwork, strength and wisdom.”

Coaches Chantel Otteson and Brody Otteson lead the student work, and local archaeologists Patricia Lacey and Carolyn Goff mentor the squad during meetings. The involvement of practicing archaeologists gives the students a direct link to regional history and field methods, offering context that is particularly relevant to a rural county with deep cultural and land stewardship concerns.

Sponsorship and volunteer support have made participation accessible. The team is sponsored by Pinhead Institute, a nonprofit that supports FIRST Lego League teams across the region. “They work hard to make everything completely free for the students and their families, including FIRST registrations, the robotic components, snacks and even team T shirts,” Otteson said. “However, they rely heavily on volunteers, such as parents turned coaches, to make the teams happen.”

For Dolores County families, the program represents more than competition. It lowers financial barriers to STEM education, builds problem solving and teamwork skills, and connects youth to local professionals and potential career paths. The reliance on volunteers also highlights gaps in sustained public funding for extracurricular STEM in rural schools, and underscores the importance of community contributions to sustain these opportunities.

As the Bear Hands prepare for Durango, their progress will be measured in robot missions and in the quieter gains of confidence and scientific curiosity. Success at the qualifier would send them on to Denver, offering a larger stage and more opportunities to showcase the work of a small rural team supported by neighbors and mentors.