Robotics teams to compete in the 2025 Hawaii VEX Regional Championships

Events will qualify local teams to advance to the VEX Worlds

Only 15 coveted spots are available for Hawaii teams

News Release from Hawaii Space Grant Consortium, 1/21/2025

HONOLULU, Jan. 21, 2025 –  Sponsored by Hawaiian Electric and in partnership with the Hawaii Space Grant Consortium, Hawaii Army National Guard, Nanakuli High & Intermediate School, and Pearl City High School, the Hawaii VEX Regional Championships will be held:

• VEX V5 Robotics Competition, Jan. 25-26, at Hawaii Army National Guard, 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• VEX IQ Robotics Competition, Feb. 15-16, at Pearl City High School, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

A total of 114 teams will be competing, representing public and private schools on Oahu, Hawaii Island and in Maui County as well as club organizations and home teams. The Hawaii VEX Regional Championships will qualify local teams for the 2025 VEX Robotics World championships in Dallas, Texas and the opportunity to compete with the best robotic teams from around the globe. Only 15 slots are available for Hawaii teams at the Worlds. The events are free to the public.

The VEX V5 Robotics Competition will feature high school and middle school teams at the Hawaii Army National Guard (97-1387 Saratoga Ave.) in Kapolei on Jan. 25-26. This year's challenge, High Stakes, is a fast-paced game that pits alliances of two teams against another alliance and requires robots to score rings on stakes, place mobile goals, and climb at the end of the match. Robots will have a period of autonomous play followed by driver-controlled play.

The VEX IQ Robotics Competition will feature elementary and middle school teams at Pearl City High School (2100 Hookiekie Street) on Feb. 15-16. This year's challenge, Rapid Relay, is a teamwork challenge game that requires two teams to pass balls between robots, score balls through targets, and clear switches. A new student role to this year's game, the Loader, gives students an opportunity to introduce balls directly onto the field, allowing for human-robot interaction.

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 250 registered teams from Hawaii and over 1000 students participating in school, home and club robotics programs.

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, national and international levels, and culminate in the VEX Robotics World Championship. There are more than 20,000 teams from over 50 countries participating in VEX tournaments worldwide.

Locally, the Hawaii Space Grant Consortium (HSGC) oversees the Hawaii VEX Robotics Competitions with funding through the University of Hawaii Foundation. Expanded opportunities for space education through the efforts of the Hawaii 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.

Since 2013, Hawaiian Electric has been the presenting sponsor of the Hawaii VEX Regional Championships, enabling teams to qualify for the VEX Worlds and compete on a global stage. Over the past four decades, the company has supported dozens of STEM education initiatives across the state including math and science bowls, engineering and science fairs, education summits, robotics programs, and STEM projects and events. Company employees also volunteer countless hours to provide student mentoring as well as staffing at robotic tournaments.

Team awards and standings will be available after the championship results are posted to the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation website, usually within 24-48 hours. Team photos from the V5RC and VIQRC Regional Championships will be shared with media after each respective event.