More than 35,000 Students Participate in International Coding and Robotics Competition

SAN MATEO, Calif., May 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Wonder Workshop, maker of the award-winning robots now used in over 20,000 elementary and middle schools globally, today announced the winners of the 2018-2019 Wonder League Robotics Competition. More than 35,000 students, ages 6 to 14, participated in the international competition this year, utilizing coding and robotics skills to solve social impact challenges.

Dung Yang from Hsinchua, Taiwan, won the grand prize for the 6-8 age group. Problem Solvers from Dubuque, Iowa, won the grand prize for the 9-11 age group, and Cadenza, from Bakersfield, California, won the grand prize for the 12-14 age group. The grand prize winning teams will each receive a $5,000 STEM grant from Wonder Workshop, plus a robot of their choice.

The Wonder League Robotics Competition provides children a global stage to learn and demonstrate 21st-century skills, with no cost or travel required – making it accessible to children in every part of the world. The competition reflects Wonder Workshop's commitment to expanding access and diversity within STEM fields. Although women continue to be underrepresented among computer science graduates, girls made up nearly half of the competition's participants.

"We are inspired by the incredible response to this year's Wonder League competition, as the number of teams participating has grown and from over 1,150 in our first year to nearly 7,900 this year. The competition provides an opportunity for all students to explore coding and robotics while learning the vital skills of collaboration and problem," said Vikas Gupta, CEO, and co-founder of Wonder Workshop. "As parents and teachers, by providing all kids with access to robotics and coding today, we are giving rise to a far more diverse future generation of creators and problem solvers."

Dash, Dot, and Cue, the programmable robots used in the Wonder League Robotics Competition, are popular among parents and educators looking to introduce coding and robotics through project-based learning. Participants in the competition, ages 6 to 14, develop problem-solving, growth mindset, and creativity skills while learning to code. Each team consists of one to five members and is supervised by an adult coach. This year's competition launched in October 2018 and featured five challenge-based missions, followed by a final invitational round in March 2019. Each story-based mission offers challenges of varying difficulties to create a scaffolded, team-based experience.

In addition to the grand prize winners, the top five teams in each age bracket will receive a Wonder Workshop robot of their choice, certificates noting their accomplishments, and Wonder League finalist shirts. Our top five teams from each age group will be awarded a robot of their choice, along with an Acer TravelMate Spin Notebook thanks to the generous support of Acer and Microsoft.

Ages 6-8 Winning Teams:

1. Dung Yuan – Hsinchua, Taiwan
2. PTDiscoveries – Penamacor, Portugal
3. Baby Blue Whale – China
4. The Sharkies – Richfield, Wisconsin
5. Vibgyor – Gurgaon, India
6. Horse Robots – Renton, Washington

Ages 9-11 Winning Teams:

1. Problem Solvers – Dubuque, Iowa
2. 116th Team – Canon City, Colorado
3. Winterpockalypse –  Hampton, Virginia
4. Submarine No. 1 – Taiwan
5. The Incredible – Lanham, Maryland
6. Curiosity – Taiwan

Ages 12-14 Winning Teams:

1. Cadenza – Bakersfield, California
2. K-2 – Kyiv, Ukraine
3. The Cardinals – Chadron, Nebraska
4. The TechSisters – Canton, Michigan
5. Team Hahn –  Republic of Korea
6. Brampton Ninjas – Brampton, Canada

For additional information on the Wonder League Robotics Competition and to see the winning teams' solutions, visit www.makewonder.com/robotics-competition.

About Wonder Workshop
Founded in 2012, Wonder Workshop's mission is to spark creativity with kids of all ages, inspiring lifelong learning through our clever robotics platform. We are committed to helping children succeed in the 21st-century and developing in-depth experiences that balance fun and learning, promote collaboration, and provide enduring value to both girls and boys at home and in the classroom. Our award-winning robots are used in more than 20,000 elementary and middle schools worldwide.

SOURCE Wonder Workshop