LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The YMCA is using Legos to teach kids technical and social skills that they can use later in life.

Most of us have probably sculpted a castle or a fortress out of Legos, but did you know that those tiny blocks can craft a big, bright future in STEM careers for local youth? The FIRST Lego League for kids aged 9 to 14 is providing local youth an opportunity to explore aspects of robotics.

The YMCA held the first class for the FIRST LEGO League, which is a class that meets on Tuesdays in the evening for students ages 9 to 13. The goal of the program is to use LEGO elements and robotics units to create LEGO robots that are pre-programmed to complete specific tasks in a league challenge. The class is also a way to introduce teamwork, and to have kids work together to complete a common goal.