March 8, 2026
The regional robotics tournament at Lone Star Campground, held March 6th – 8th, opened with a spiritual foundation led by featured speaker Mrs. Pat Goffe, renowned author of nine books. Centered on the theme “Unearthed: Discovering the Treasure Within,” On Friday evening, Mrs. Goffe guided students through a prayer walk across four stations—Gratitude, Dedication, Confession, and Supplication—and all students created a collaborative prayer board during divine worship. This program encouraged participants to discover their true purpose by building a daily relationship with God through worship and prayer.
Following these services, nine teams transitioned to the competition floor. The North Dallas Adventist Academy Sentinels earned both the Core Values and Robot Performance Awards, while the Scenic Hills Adventist Academy Motorized Hawks took home the Innovation Project Award. The Southwest Christian Academy Code Crushers received the Robot Design Award, and the prestigious Champion’s Award was presented to Ozark Adventist Academy’s Indiana Bones.
As a result of their excellence, three teams advanced to the Adventist Robotics Championship Tournament on May 3, 2026, in Orlando, Florida:
- North Dallas Adventist Academy (Sentinels)
- Scenic Hills Adventist Academy (Motorized Hawks)
- Ozark Adventist Academy (Indiana Bones)
“Seeing our youth merge technical precision with spiritual depth proves that when we empower students to discover the treasure within, they become the leaders our future requires,” stated Robotics Tournament Director Dr. Lawanna McCoy. The event was made possible by the Southwest Region Conference Model System, which also donated a 3D printer to Southwest Christian Academy (Dallas) for achieving the highest points at the tournament, and the Southwestern Union Conference.
The First Lego League (FLL) was founded in 1998 through a partnership between inventor Dean Kamen (founder of FIRST) and the LEGO Group. FLL was designed to introduce younger students to the “sport of the mind.” For nearly 30 years, it has evolved from a small pilot into a global movement in over 100 countries, teaching students that engineering is as much about teamwork and “Gracious Professionalism” as it is about coding.
Dr. Lawanna G. Williams-McCoy, MS, MA, EdD
