Building the future: The 10th annual Pacific South District Robotics Competition

Mr. Eric Ebert

May 19, 2026

Building the future: The 10th annual Pacific South District Robotics Competition

108 students from nine DoWEA schools competed in the 10th Annual Pacific South District Robotics Competition. Evaluated by military volunteers, these young engineers showcased their teamwork, coding, and problem-solving skills by guiding FIRST LEGO League robots through complex missions, celebrating months of after-school STEM preparation. (Contributed photos)

OKINAWA, Japan – Kadena Elementary School transformed into an engineering hub for the 10th Annual Pac South District Robotics Competition on April 22, 2026. Nineteen teams, 108 students in all, spanning grades 2 - 8, gathered to put months of hard work to the test.

Representing Kinser ES, Killin ES, Zukeran ES, Bob Hope ES, Bechtel ES, Kadena ES, Lester MS, Kadena MS, and Ryukyu MS, these students brought an incredible amount of energy and focus to the competition floor.

The event was the culmination of after-school robotics clubs that kicked off last fall, built around the FIRST Robotics framework. Second and third graders took on the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Explore division to learn the ropes of research and design, while the fourth through eighth graders tackled the rigorous FLL Challenge level, programming autonomous robots to navigate complex tabletop missions. At Ralph Stearley PS, K-1 students participated in the FLL Discover level. While they didn't travel to the large district event, their in-school showcase laid the exact same foundation for early math and engineering skills.

Attendees walking around the competition saw productive struggle in real-time. The FLL program is about much more than just building a robot. It’s about teamwork, communication, and figuring out what to do when your design fails on the first, second, or third try. The students learn that failure is just data for their next redesign.

That resilience is the whole point, and it's part of a much bigger picture for the Pacific South District. The elementary and middle school FLL programs act as a direct pipeline, preparing students for the advanced FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) clubs offered at our Pacific South high schools. By building this K-12 robotics continuum, Pacific South is not just teaching kids how to code, we are equipping them with the technological literacy and confidence they need to tackle the real-world STEM challenges of the future.