On Thursday, March 5, 2026, Orange Unified held its annual Elementary LEGO Robotics Competition at Portola Middle School for the fourth consecutive year. Thirteen elementary schools from across the district participated in this exciting event, showcasing their skills in the FIRST LEGO League Robotics Unearthed Challenge.
Our 4th, 5th, and 6th-grade teams spent months preparing for this competition—first by constructing the various challenge elements at their schools, then by designing and building their robots. Students had to carefully select attachments that would allow their robots to complete as many tasks as possible, including grabbing, pulling, pushing, and swiping objects on the competition mat. This process required teamwork, problem-solving, and plenty of trial and error before they could begin coding their robots to navigate the challenge course.
Events like the Elementary LEGO Robotics Competition give students an exciting introduction to robotics, engineering, and computer programming. For many of our elementary students, this is their first opportunity to design, build, and code a working robot. Experiences like this help spark curiosity and build foundational STEM skills while introducing students to the kinds of problem-solving and collaboration used in real-world engineering and technology careers. It also helps connect our elementary learning experiences to the robotics, engineering, and computer science pathways students can pursue in middle school, high school, and beyond.
The competition itself was action-packed from start to finish! A total of 39 teams competed, each given three rounds to complete as many tasks as possible within a two-minute and thirty-second time limit. After nearly three hours of intense competition, the top three teams emerged:
🏆 First Place: Running Springs’ Goated Coders
🥈 Second Place: Running Springs’ Team BB8
🥉 Third Place: Nohl Canyon’s team Fried Chicken
While the students' achievements were truly impressive, we also want to recognize the dedication of our Robotics Coaches, who put in countless hours working with their teams. A huge thank you also goes out to our volunteers and judges—this event would not have been possible without your support. We also thank Portola Middle School for hosting us every year.
Congratulations to all the students, coaches, and schools who participated in this year’s LEGO Robotics Competition! We are proud of the innovation, collaboration, and perseverance displayed by our young engineers and look forward to seeing even more incredible work next year.