Journey From the K12 Robotics League to the World Robot Olympiad

Iowa Virtual Academy: Spotlight on Chloe, 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 robotics competition, where they are set to shine.

Chloe, a 10th grade student at Iowa Virtual Academy (IAVA), 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 World Robot Olympiad (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 Chloe

Chloe is a member of the K12 Robotics League and a part of team Hello Kitty, one of the talented teams in the K12 Robotics League. Team Hello Kitty placed second in the 10–12th grade division of the 2024 K12 Robotics League.

After the K12 Robotics League wrapped up in June, team Hello Kitty traveled to Aurora, Illinois, in July to compete in the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) U.S. Open where they came in third place.

Chloe, 10th grade IAVA student, member of the K K12 Robotics League and Team Hello Kitty

Chloe and her team will join Team USA in the upcoming World Robot Olympiad Open Championship for the Americas for three days of an exciting and international robotic competition in early October. This year, the WRO Open Championship is in Puerto Rico, with participants from more than 20 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Hello Kitty at the K12 Robotics League Finals

From Virtual Competitions to a World Stage

Chloe’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, Chloe 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, gifted and talented resource coordinator for Oklahoma Virtual Charter Academy (OVCA) and Insight School of Oklahoma (ISOK). When asked about the outstanding achievement of competing in the WRO, Coach Phil says, “Most of them were trying out coding and robotics for the first time this past year, and now they’re taking on the best in the world,” which goes to show how far Chloe and her team have come in robotics.

Chloe and her team competing in the K12 Robotics League Final Round

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 Chloe’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 Chloe 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.

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