THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University will host a FIRST LEGO League Robotics Qualifying Tournament for fourth- through eighth-graders from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20.

Twenty-four teams from local schools will bring the robots they designed to compete for a spot at the regional competition in December. Last year, the university hosted its first tournament, an informal event that drew 12 teams.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring young people’s interest in science and technology. Its LEGO League program challenges 9- to 14-year-old students to build LEGO-based robots to complete a specific task.

“Food Safety” is the theme for this year’s event. Teams will also give a presentation on the topic as part of the competition.

The public is invited to watch the competition. In addition, volunteers are needed to assist with registration, set-up, coordination, judging and refereeing. Robotics experience is not necessary.

The event will be held in Soiland Recreation Center in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, which is on the north side of Olsen Road near Campus Drive in Thousand Oaks.

For more information on the tournament, contact Bob Rumer at rrumer@callutheran.edu or (805) 377-8369. For more information on FIRST, visit http://www.usfirst.org.