By Isle of Wight Observer
Young people from across the Island showcased engineering, coding, and problem-solving skills at the First Tech Challenge regional tournament, after a 20-week programme focused on designing, building, and programming competition robots.
Teams from seven schools took part: St Catherine’s School, Medina College, Carisbrooke College, The Lionheart School, The Island Free School, Christ the King College, and St George’s School.
The internationally recognised initiative gives students aged 12 to 18 practical experience in engineering, software development, and technical design, while developing team-work, communication, and project management skills.
On competition day, teams put their robots through a series of challenges, demonstrating technical ability and creativity under pressure.
Top honours went to a combined alliance of St Catherine’s School and Carisbrooke College, while Medina College and The Lionheart School were named tournament finalists.
Medina College also received the Inspire Award, the competition’s highest accolade, recognising achievement across robot design, performance, team-work, and community outreach.
A teacher from St Catherine’s School described the event as “probably the highlight of my teaching career”, adding: “The kids had such a great time.”
Industry mentors from BAE Systems, GKN, Gurit, and Yokogawa, supported students throughout the programme.
The event was delivered with support from Isle of Wight Council and the Solent Careers Hub. Cllr Ros Freeman, chairman of the council’s children’s services, education and skills committee, congratulated everyone involved and thanked BAE Systems for hosting the challenge.
Rufus Pickles - Local Democracy Reporter