HONOLULU (Jan. 29, 2024) –  Sponsored by Hawaiian Electric, the Hawaiʻi VEX Robotics Middle and High School Regional Championships, held on January 26-28 at Hawaiʻi Army National Guard, qualified 7 out of 44 Hawaiʻi VEX robotics teams that will advance to the 2024 VEX Robotics World Championships.

Hawaiʻi middle and high school robotics teams will showcase their game strategy, design and teamwork skills for an opportunity to be crowned world champions at the global event to be held April 25 to May 3 in Dallas, Texas.

Advancing from Oʻahu are Nānākuli High School (1 team), Saint Louis School (2 teams), Mililani Mechs (1 team), Waiʻanae Intermediate School (1 team) and Waialua High and Intermediate School (2 teams).

At the middle school competition, Waiʻanae Intermediate School earned the VEX Excellence Award, while Waialua High & Intermediate School captured the Tournament Champion Award.

At the high school competition, Mililani Mechs earned the VEX Excellence Award, the highest award a team can receive at a competition for all around excellence in both Judged Award and Performance Award categories. The Mililani Mechs team also received the Robot Skills Champion Award. Two teams from Saint Louis School captured the Tournament Champion Award. Nānākuli High School earned the Design Award.

A team from Maui High School captured the Tournament Finalists and Energy Award at the High School Championship, and a team from Keaʻau High School took the Build Award at the High School Championship. A team from Waiākea Intermediate School won the Design Award at the Middle School Championship for demonstrating an organized and professional approach to the Engineering Design Process through the team’s ability to document and explain the process via an Engineering Notebook and team interview.

For a complete list of team standings at the Hawaiʻi VEX Robotics Regional Championships, visit:

• VRC Middle School: https://www.robotevents.com/robot-competitions/vex-robotics-competition/RE-VRC-23-4613.html#agenda

• VRC High School: https://www.robotevents.com/robot-competitions/vex-robotics-competition/RE-VRC-23-4610.html#awards

Hawaiian Electric, the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard, and Nānākuli Intermediate and High School were named “Partners of the Year” for their long-standing support and partnership with Hawaiʻi VEX Robotics.

Volunteer of the Year honor was awarded to Makoa Umeda and John DeʻOrio. Makoa, a co-Event Partner, helped to organize and support the VRC Regional Championships. John is an emcee, announcing at almost all of the regular-qualifying tournaments this season.

Mentor of the Year was awarded to Mr. Tyron Hamamoto of Campbell High School and Mr. Scott Kaz from Niu Valley Middle School for their dedication and support to their students this season.

VEX Robotics is an educational robotics program that inspires students to excel in STEM principles while encouraging creativity, teamwork, leadership and problem solving among groups. This season, there were over 250 registered teams from Hawaiʻi and over 900 students involved in VEX.

Robotics competitions foster these skills and prepare students to become future innovators as well as increase their interest in pursuing STEM careers. Tournaments are held year-round at the regional, state and national levels, and culminate in the VEX Robotics World Championship. There are approximately 20,000 teams from 45 countries participating in VEX tournaments.

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. HSGC offers various remote and in-person trainings and workshops for coaches, teachers, and students, developing a robotics curriculum for STEM/robotics classes, and mentored teachers and students in rookie robotics programs.

Team photos from the Hawaiʻi VEX Robotics Regional Championships available at these Flickr links:

High School Championship: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBcne6

Middle School Championship: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBcjwV