Students from Wichita Adventist Christian Academy recently competed in the Adventist LEGO League at Mile High Academy in Denver, Colorado.
In 2025, Wichita Adventist Christian Academy (WACA) in Wichita, Kansas, introduced a LEGO robotics program for students in grades 4–8 that incorporated kinesthetic, hands-on learning. This approach helps students actively engage with concepts while developing creativity, problem-solving skills, and teamwork.
At WACA, education focuses on developing the whole child—mind, body and spirit. Through robotics, students explore the talents God has given them while learning perseverance, collaboration and responsibility. As they design, build and test their robots, they are reminded that their abilities are gifts from God that can be used to serve others and honor Jesus.
Building on that foundation, in 2025 the school began participating in the FIRST® LEGO® League robotics program after receiving a $10,000 grant. Through this program, students design, build, test and program robots while developing critical thinking, patience and resilience. The program is designed to help students develop technological literacy by teaching students programming, engineering design, and computational problem-solving through hands-on robotics challenges.
On Feb. 1, 2026, the team traveled to Mile High Academy in Denver, Colorado, to compete in the Adventist LEGO League competition. In their first year, the team earned 4th place in the Mission Performance category. For many of the students, this was their first experience competing in robotics, making the accomplishment especially meaningful.
Benjamin, the team’s robot designer, said, “It was really hard work, but with God’s help we did it.”
Students participating included Benjamin (robot designer and invention designer), Julien (robot coder), Jensen and Hudson (attachment design and building experimenters), and Kaye (T-shirt designer and invention presenter). For a small school like WACA, the experience provided students with a unique opportunity to explore engineering and design thinking, teamwork and problem-solving in a competitive setting.
Special thanks go to coaches John (architect extraordinaire), Tammy (presentation consultant), Jennifer Barkley (logistics coordinator), and Meredith (teacher and grant writer).
WACA teacher Mrs. Staddon stated that she was very proud of the students for persevering until the end. She also expressed appreciation that God blessed them with the grant that made the opportunity possible.
Meredith Staddon is a teacher at Wichita Adventist Christian Academy.
