The Hawaiʻi VEX IQ Robotics Elementary and Middle School State Championships recently qualified 18 VEX robotics teams to advance to the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championships scheduled to take place in Dallas, Texas on April 25 and May 4.

VEX Robotics is an educational robotics program that inspires students to excel in STEM principles while encouraging creativity, leadership and problem solving among groups.

During the championship, the following Hawaiʻi elementary and middle school robotics teams will showcase their game strategy, design and teamwork skills.

Oʻahu

• Hāleʻiwa Elementary School
• Hawaii Girl Power
• Manoa Elementary School
• Ewa Makai Middle School
• Silver Tigers

Maui

• Kalama Intermediate School

Molokaʻi

• Kaunakakai Elementary

Hawaiʻi Island

• Waiakea Intermediate School,
• Hilo Intermediate School
• Haili Christian School

Also qualified to participate in the VEX Worlds at the elementary school competition include:

• Kaunakakai Elementary’s Molokai

All-Stars team earned the VEX IQ Excellence Award, while Hāleʻiwa Elementary captured the Teamwork Champion, Robot Skills Champion and Amaze awards. Manoa Elementary won the Teamwork 2nd Place, Design, Innovate and Think awards.

At the middle school competition, Kalama Intermediate earned the VEX IQ Excellence and Robot Skills Champion awards and shared the Teamwork Champion with Ewa Makai Middle School, which also won the Innovate Award.

The double and triple qualifications by these teams will allow six other Hawaiʻi teams, to be determined by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, to advance to the VEX Worlds.

Hawaiian Electric, Justin De Lizo of Hanalani Schools, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, and Gayle Kamei and Jon Kitagawa of Waiakea Intermediate School were named “Partners of the Year” for their longstanding support and partnership with Hawaiʻi VEX Robotics. Volunteer of the Year honor was awarded to Brandon Teshima and the students of Kamehameha Schools

Mentor of the Year was awarded to Ms. Andrea Reyes of Gustav Webling Elementary School and Kumu Kaʻimi Nahale-a from Hilo Intermediate School for their dedication and support to their students this season.

Locally, the Hawaiʻi Space Grant Consortium (HSGC) oversees the Hawaiʻi VEX Robotics Competitions with funding through the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation. Expanded opportunities for space education through the efforts of the Hawaiʻi Space Grant Consortium have been focused on the public, particularly teachers and students in grades kindergarten through twelve

Photo credit: Hawai‘i Space Grant Consortium