Midland ISD Career & Technical Education students showcased their engineering and problem-solving skills during the FIRST Tech Challenge Midland Area Qualifier held at the Midland College Chap Center.
The event brought together high school robotics teams from across West Texas for a day of competition in both autonomous and driver-controlled matches, as well as judged interviews focused on design, teamwork, and innovation. The district said the strong performance by its students highlights the skills developed through Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs and partnerships with local industry and volunteers.
According to a news release, “The FTC Midland Robotics competition highlights the STEM skills our students are developing through CTE and in Midland ISD (…) We are grateful to our many volunteers, ConocoPhillips, CM Welding & Manufacturing, and Tanklogix for partnering with us in making this season and our final event possible,” Executive Director of CTE Jeff Horner said. As reported by Midland ISD, several district teams received top awards: Legacy High School’s Robo Junkies earned the Design Award and served as Winning Alliance Captain; OmegaBotz took second in the Think Award and were Winning Alliance Partners; Midland High’s Knight Dawgs claimed second place in Inspire Award and advanced as Finalist Alliance Partners; Alpha Dawgs earned third in Inspire and served as Finalist Alliance Captains; while Young Women’s Leadership Academy’s Servo Rays received the Connect Award.
Nine teams from the qualifier will advance to the FTC Panhandle Region Championship on Feb. 28 in Lubbock. District leaders said these results reflect both the depth of Midland ISD’s CTE programs and the impact of community partnerships in preparing students for high-demand career pathways.
According to the official website, Midland ISD aims to enhance student achievement through targeted educational programs, operates under Superintendent Stephanie Howard, collaborates with the Midland Education Foundation to support initiatives including robotics and STEM, provides educational services through partnerships, functions as a public education entity aligned with state guidelines, and traces its origins back to an original one-room schoolhouse established after Midland County was founded in 1885.