HAWAI`I HOSTS REGIONAL BOTBALL TOURNAMENT

April 28 - Lt. Governor Aiona joined students, teachers and families at the 2007 Hawai‘i Botball Regional competition at the Hawai`i Convention Center that featured more than 30 teams from schools statewide.

"We want to take the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and robotics statewide and we want you to be ambassadors," Lt. Governor Aiona told the students. "The skills and knowledge that you have gained can solve many of the issues we face as a community."

Botball is a hands-on educational experience that provides Hawai‘i middle and high school students with opportunities to learn practical applications of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This year, students had to devise strategies that would make their robots protect homes from lava by moving them to a safety zone or by using a house shield; pick "pineapples", making sure to put the leaves into a compost bin and the pineapples into a pineapple bin; and cover both bins with water. Winner of this year’s tournament, Earl's Garage, whose members are middle and high school students from Waimea, Big Island, will compete in the International Botball Tournament in Hawai‘i at the convention center held from July 11-13.

The Lingle-Aiona Adminstration is supporting robotics as part of the Hawai`i Innovation Initiative to engage Hawai`i students in STEM education.