Three teams -- Radford High School, Honokaa High School and Waialua High School -- who participated in this weekend’s Hawaii Regional will move on to the National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, April 17 – 19. They will be joined by three other Hawaii teams -- Waiakea High School, McKinley High School and Sacred Hearts Academy -- who qualified at previous regional competitions on the mainland.

Radford High School earned a spot in the Championships as part of a winning three-team alliance that included the team from Florida’s Rockledge High, Cocoa Beach High & Viera High Schools and Bellarmine College Prep High School of San Jose, Calif.

The second place alliance included three Hawaii teams -- McKinley High School, Sacred Hearts Academy and Waialua High School.

Honokaa High School was named the Rookie All-Star Team and Waialua High School won the prestigious Chairman’s Award, which qualifies both teams to move on to the Nationals.

"This event wasn't about a robotics competition; it was about our chance to have an increasingly improved standard of living because we were able to transform our economy from one based on land development to one based on human capacity," Gov. Linda Lingle said. “We have found a fun way for our students to use their brains to find solutions to make the world a better place.”

The three Hawaii teams that qualified today to move on the FIRST Championships in Atlanta will receive financial support of up to $10,000 per team for travel and lodging expenses from sponsor BAE Systems.

The Hawaii Regional Robotics competition featured 25 Hawaii teams representing high schools on the Big Island, Kauai, Maui and Oahu who spent six grueling weeks constructing robots and preparing for the competition. The event also included 12 mainland teams from California, New Jersey, Florida and West Virginia. In total, more than 700 students participated.

The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition challenges teams of young people and their mentors to solve a common engineering problem in a six-week timeframe using a standard "kit of parts" and a common set of rules. Teams build robots from the parts and enter them in competitions designed by FIRST founder Dean Kamen and a committee of engineers and other professionals.

“FIRST has achieved everything it was meant to achieve,” Lt. Gov. James R. “Duke” Aiona, Jr. told the students. "There is no doubt that this is the varsity sport of the mind. From the moment you opened the box, you have been changing and how you have changed makes a difference for your school, your family and the state of Hawaii.”

Robotics is a critical component of the Lingle-Aiona Administration's Hawaii Innovation Initiative because it engages students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. The competition also provides students with teamwork and problem-solving skills that will better prepare them to enter the workforce.

The 2008 NASA/BAE Systems FIRST in Hawaii Regional Robotics Competition was made possible by a $1 million grant that Governor Lingle secured from NASA to hold a regional competition for four years, as well as sponsorship by BAE Systems.

Hawaii Teams Advancing to the National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, April 17-19:

Honokaa High School

McKinley High School

Radford High School

Sacred Hearts Academy

Waiakea High School

Waialua High School

2008 NASA/BAE Systems FIRST in Hawai‘i Regional Robotics Competition Awards

Regional Chairman’s Award – Waialua High School

Engineering Inspiration Award – Foshay Learning Center, Los Angeles, Calif.

General Motors Industrial Design Award – Construction Tech Academy at Kearney Educational Complex, San Diego, Calif.

Motorola Quality Award – Bellarmine College Prep High School, San Jose, Calif.

Johnson & Johnson Gracious Professionalism Award – McKinley High School

Daimler Chrysler Team Spirit Award – Waiakea High School

Rookie Inspiration Award – Sacred Hearts Academy

Highest Rookie Seed Award – Kamehameha High School, Kapalama Campus

Rookie All Star Award – Honokaa High School

Underwriters Laboratories Industrial Safety Award – Logan County Schools, Logan, West Virginia

Entrepreneurship Award – Waialula High School

Autodesk Visualization Award – North Brunswick Township High School, North Brunswick, New Jersey

Delphi “Driving Tomorrow’s Technology” Award – North Brunswick Township High School, North Brunswick, New Jersey

Rockwell Automation Innovation in Control Award – Rockledge High School & Cocoa Beach High School & Viera High School & School Board of Brevard County, Florida

Xerox Creativity Award – Logan County Schools, Logan, West Virginia

Imagery Award – Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles, Calif.

Website Award – Foshay Learning Center, Los Angels, Calif.

Judges Award – Lynbrook High School, San Jose, Calif.

Judges Award – Chaminade College Preparatory, West Hills, Calif.

Outstanding Volunteer Award – Art Kimura

Woodie Flowers Award – Alan Ing, mentor, McKinley High School

Russell Pang is the chief of media relations for the Office of the Governor.

HawaiiReporter.com reports the real news, and prints all editorials submitted, even if they do not represent the viewpoint of the editors, as long as they are written clearly. Send editorials to mailto:Malia@HawaiiReporter.com

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