The Santa Maria-Bonita School District (SMBSD) Robotics Program is set to host its largest competition of the season, the SMBSD Winter Wonderland Robotics Open VEX IQ Mix & Match, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13 at Tommie Kunst Junior High School.
The event will bring together some 65 elementary- and middle-school robotics teams for a high-stakes, action-packed day of competition, representing both the local SMBSD community and major school districts from across the Southern and Central Coast regions of California.
Competing teams will navigate the new VEX IQ Robotics Competition (VIQRC) Mix & Match game, where students apply their knowledge of engineering, coding, and strategic design to score points.
The tournament will feature fierce competition in driving skills, autonomous coding, and alliance matches, challenging students’ ability to rapidly troubleshoot and collaborate under pressure.
The tournament’s scope highlights the growing popularity of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education in the region, drawing teams from as far away as Paso Robles and Southern California districts, including teams from Temple City and Diamond Bar.
The Winter Wonderland open serves as an official qualifier, meaning the top teams will earn prestigious awards including the highly-sought after Excellence Award and Teamwork Champion Award that provide direct opportunities to qualify and attend the VEX IQ State Championship later this season.
The public is invited to witness this display of student engineering and ingenuity.