The College of Engineering at Wichita State University is hosting its 25th annual Shocker MINDSTORMS Challenge, a robotics competition for area students in third through eighth grade or ages eight through 14 years old. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 1. The competition portion will be in the Heskett Center, while the awards ceremonies will be in Hubbard Hall, room 208.

“This exciting competition provides young students with a unique opportunity to apply mathematical, scientific, programming and engineering skills in a real-world setting,” said Dr. Perleker Tamtam, event coordinator. “The competition also promotes essential values such as teamwork, dedication and sportsmanship.”

WSU is planning to have around 200 participants in nearly 20 teams for the competition. The students previously registered, reviewed course details online, and had an opportunity to attend a course preview on Dec. 14 and a trial day on Feb. 8. This Saturday, they will compete with their robots on courses, demonstrating what they have learned to industry professionals and WSU representatives through presentations, interviews, displays and notebooks.

The MINDSTORMS competition is a robotics challenge where teams design, build and program LEGO-powered robots to complete a series of tasks and navigate dynamic playing fields. It emphasizes creativity, teamwork and problem-solving as participants strive to innovate and excel in a fast-paced, competitive environment.

The competition is open to the public, including parents, grandparents, classmates and friends, as well as engineers and educators. In addition to Dr. Tamtam, the event steering committee includes Randy Brill from GKN Aerospace, Brenda Brill from the Kansas College of Osteopathic Medicine and Steve Smith from Trinity Academy. Event sponsors include the college, Evergy and Pfizer.

“We are thrilled to once again host young students who have a passion for robotics,” said Dr. Anthony Muscat, dean of the college. “Many of the programs we offer incorporate robotics, so we hope to one day welcome these same participants to the College of Engineering as students.”

Teams in the Beginner and Beginner II categories will compete between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Heskett Center with an awards ceremony from 3 to 4 p.m. in Hubbard Hall, room 208. Four awards based on total points will be announced in both the Beginner and Beginner II categories, and there will also be one award each in both categories for display, notebook, presentation and interview.   

Teams in the Professional category will compete between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. in the Heskett Center with an awards ceremony from 5 to 6 p.m. in Hubbard Hall, room 208. Four awards based on total points will be announced, and there will also be one award each for display, notebook, presentation and interview.   

For more information about the 2025 Shocker MINDSTORMS Challenge, visit the event webpage. To view an interactive map of the WSU campus, including available parking, visit the interactive map webpage.

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Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked WSU No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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