Rocky Point, NC — April 17, 2025
Heide Trask High School transformed into a hub of creativity and collaboration as students from across Pender County Schools gathered for the District Robotics Showcase, an event featuring both FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) competitions.
Free and open to the public, the showcase celebrated the ingenuity and technical skills of elementary and middle school students as they designed, built, and programmed robots to solve real-world problems through dynamic challenges.
🔧 Elementary Engineers: FIRST LEGO League
In the FLL division, elementary teams impressed spectators with LEGO® robots programmed to tackle mission-based tasks aligned with real-world themes. Five schools proudly represented Pender County, highlighting problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation at every turn.
Participating Schools:
South Topsail Elementary, Topsail Annandale Elementary, Cape Fear Elementary, C.F. Pope Elementary, and Malpass Corner Elementary
🏆 FLL Elementary Division Winners
🥇 1st Place: Topsail Annandale Elementary Team 2
🥈 2nd Place: C.F. Pope Elementary
🥉 3rd Place: Malpass Corner Elementary Team 2
⚙️ Strategy Meets Engineering: FIRST Tech Challenge
Middle school teams took the competition to the next level in the FTC arena, engaging in both 1v1 and 2v2 matches with custom-built robots designed to perform a series of complex tasks. Each team brought their unique design and strategy, demonstrating not only engineering skill but also teamwork and resilience.
Participating Schools:
West Pender Middle – Warrior Robotics
Burgaw Middle – FLAMES LLD
Cape Fear Middle – The G.O.A.T.S
Penderlea – Stingers
From pit setup and practice runs to final matches, students operated with Gracious Professionalism®, a core value of the FIRST organization that promotes respect, integrity, and high-quality work—even in competitive settings.
🏆 FTC Middle School Division Winners
🥇 1st Place: West Pender Middle
🥈 2nd Place: Burgaw Middle
🥉 3rd Place: Cape Fear Middle
The event gave students the opportunity to apply classroom learning in an exciting, hands-on environment—boosting confidence, communication, and a passion for STEM.
💡 About FIRST®
FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a global nonprofit that empowers young people to become science and technology leaders through mentor-guided robotics programs. With age-appropriate challenges for Pre-K through 12th grade, FIRST combines the excitement of sport with the rigor of STEM to prepare students for the future.
Learn more at firstinspires.org
Pender County Schools is proud of all the participating teams and deeply grateful to the staff, volunteers, families, and community members who made the District Robotics Showcase a success.
🚀 The future is being built—one robot at a time.
#onepender