Journey From the K12 Robotics League to the World Robot Olympiad

Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy: Spotlight on Krista, 10th Grade

From conquering virtual competitions to making a mark on the global stage, the Hello Kitty team is on a winning streak. The team’s unique blend of skills is propelling them toward the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) robotics competition, where they are set to shine.

Krista, a 10th grade student from Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy (OVCA), will travel to Puerto Rico in October to compete with her team, Hello Kitty, in the World Robot Olympiad Open Championship for the Americas.

World Robot Olympiad

The WRO is an annual international robotics competition bringing together young innovators from around the world to showcase their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills. The WRO allows students to apply their robotics skills to tackle real-world challenges. The competition fosters creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving while preparing students for future careers in STEM fields. More than 60,000 global students and 95+ countries participate in the WRO.

Meet Krista

Krista has always enjoyed solving puzzles, from game mechanics to math equations. She is also interested in autonomous vehicles and says, “I was fascinated to see self-driving cars avoiding accidents, and I thought it would be amazing to make something like that. The K12 Robotics League gave me a great opportunity to try coding while having fun.” The K12 Robotics League offered Krista more opportunities to further explore her interests and her curiosity in coding and robotics, and she continues to bring her ambitiousness to the team.

Krista, 10th grade OVCA student, member of the K12 Robotics League and Team Hello Kitty

From Virtual Competitions to a World Stage

Krista’s journey in the K12 Robotics League began in the fall of 2023. She competed in two virtual challenges and one in-person challenge for the final round. Her team’s third place in the First-Round Qualifier and second place in the Second-Round Qualifier secured their spot in the K12 Robotics League finals, where they clinched second place.

Since joining the K12 Robotics League, Krista has competed in two in-person competitions, one with K12 and one with the WRO. The team’s third-place finish in the WRO U.S. Open earned them a spot on Team USA to compete in the WRO Open Championship for the Americas.

Leading team Hello Kitty to the WRO is Coach Phil Przybylo, the gifted and talented resource coordinator for Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy (OVCA) and Insight School of Oklahoma (ISOK).

Memorable Moments in Robotics

One of the key factors in the team’s success is the unique mix of different skill sets among its members. Kirsta had never programmed before entering the competition, and in fact, the first code she ever wrote was in January for the Initial Round Qualifier of the K12 Robotics League. “I had never even dreamed of designing or building a robot until the WRO U.S. Open in July,” Krista says.

Since joining the K12 Robotics League, Krista has learned a variety of new skills and experienced some memorable moments. Students coded virtual robots for K12 Robotics League virtual competitions and transitioned their coding program to a physical robot for the in-person final round.

“I gained a lot of mechanics knowledge when I started tinkering with building a robot. There is an amazing array of mechanical principles for multi-functional motors and gear combinations. Building a robot is like a real-life physics laboratory. With my first gearbox design, I felt like I had unlocked secret knowledge. It was a really cool and memorable experience,” she says. “While it’s frustrating to contend with random variations in virtual simulations, I quickly began to appreciate the complexities of everyday factors that impact robotic performance when I started designing my own robot.”

Krista’s journey in the K12 Robotic League was a learning experience in communication and organization. Working with teammates from different states, she learned the importance of creating a positive learning space for everyone.

“Some people are shy, and you might miss out on important contributions if you don’t create an environment where people feel comfortable enough to come out of their shell,” she says.

From Trials to Triumph

Challenges can arise at any moment, and how a team handles its challenges shapes its success. A particular challenge occurred for Krista, leading to a moment of elation right before the K12 Robotics League final competition at the Stride, Inc. headquarters.

Krista found herself quickly trying to write a code just one week before the final competition. While her code “relied on bouncing off the walls of the maze area to orient the robot,” Krista suddenly found out there would be no walls on the robotics mat! One of Krista’s teammates, Olivia, had a different code that did not incorporate walls. Krista says, “It was a lifesaver! Though it still had some bugs, the three of us sat down and figured it out over the next few hours.” This experience was a testament to the team’s determination and ability to turn challenges into opportunities, and Coach Phill Przybylo, aka Mr. Prizz, supported them through all the challenges.

“It was a lot to accomplish,” Krista says, “but we worked through it with Mr. Prizz’s encouragement and a lot of help from YouTube. While very frustrating and discouraging at times, we developed some great ideas and learned a lot about persevering.”

Krista after competing in the K12 Robotics League Finals

Team Spirit in Action

“Our team is unique because we come from three different geographic regions and cultural backgrounds,” Krista says. “We try to ask each other’s perspective on problems we run into. We each have a unique strength. Chloe is reliable and hard-working so is a great bug tester. Olivia has some robot building experience that Chloe and I lack and has good design ideas. I try to think of effective algorithms.” These individual strengths serve as the foundation for the team’s success, and foster camaraderie and team spirit. While the team works well virtually, Krista appreciates the time the team can physically get together and collaborate.

The World Robot Olympiad Open Championship in Puerto Rico

Krista and the Hello Kitty team are traveling to compete in the World Robot Olympiad Open Championship in Puerto Rico from October 1–3, 2024. In preparation for this exciting competition, Krista shared what she is most excited for as they head to Puerto Rico.

“I’m excited to showcase our creativity and to see how we measure up against the best minds in high school robotics. It’ll also be interesting to see innovative designs from other teams. Last, I look forward to all three of us getting together again and working hands-on the day before the official competition to smooth out the last wrinkles and share ideas and yummy snacks!”

Hello Kitty at the K12 Robotics League Finals

The Road Ahead

The long journey from competing in virtual competitions in the K12 Robotics League to competing on a world stage in the WRO is a testament to Krista’s and her team’s hard work, dedication, and passion for robotics.

Hello Kitty’s journey to the WRO is a remarkable achievement. K12 is honored that these students will be a part of Team USA, representing an entire nation in the WRO Open Championship for the Americas. We wish Krista and the Hello Kitty team the best of luck as they compete in Puerto Rico on October 1–3, 2024.

2025 K12 Robotics Competition

The K12 Robotics Competition aims to foster innovation, collaboration, critical thinking, and technical skill development for students. Registration for the 2025 K12 Robotics Competition is open to K12-powered students in grades 4–12 from October 1 through December 16, 2024.

The K12 Robotics Competition is ideal for students at all skill levels and offers one of the most affordable options for participants at $50.00 per software license.

Visit the K12 Robotics Competition website to learn more, or contact competitions@stridelearning.com.