January 16, 2020

TEXAS COMPUTER EDUCATION ASSOCIATION ROBOTICS CONTEST

The Guam Department of Education College Pathway Project science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) program in partnership with Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) will host the second annual TCEA Robotics Contest this weekend.

A total of 33 intermediate, 17 advance arena, and 11 advanced invention teams will compete, comprising of over 400 elementary, middle and high school students. The contest takes place this Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 8 a.m. at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort.

Robotics provides an incredible outlet for students to work on hands-on, collaborative STEM projects. In both the area and state TCEA competitions, students have the opportunity to design, collaborate, construct, and compete using their analytical, creative and communication skills. 

There are two distinct categories in the TCEA Robotics Contest. The arena competition is a prescribed problem contest where students program robots to accomplish a list of specific tasks. Arena teams build a robot using a specific set of motors, sensors and LEGO-branded elements. A team’s robot must perform specific tasks on the challenge field in three two-minute rounds.

The inventions competition is open-ended, and allows students to choose a real-world problem and create a robotic solution. Teams are allowed a total retail value of $5 to incorporate non-electrical, non-LEGO parts to enhance functionality or for decoration.  

“This is the second TCEA robotics contest we are bringing to our school system, and we are very excited to see the growing number of participants,” College Pathway Project Lead and TCEA Competition Area Director Leah Beth Naholowaa said. “We want to ignite a passion for robotics within our students and prepare them to embrace the growing number of STEM employment opportunities in the labor market, where the number of STEM jobs continues to grow.”

The College Pathway Project is administered by the GDOE Federal Programs Division and funded by the U.S. Department of Education Consolidated Grant to the Outlying Areas.

For more information, please contact Leah Beth Naholowaa at lonaholowaa@gdoe.net or 300-1252.