Cleveland to Host More Than 1,500 Students for 27th Annual FIRST Buckeye Regional Robotics Tournament

CLEVELAND, OHIO — The Wolstein Center is about to get a lot louder as more than 1,500 students descend on downtown Cleveland for the 27th annual FIRST Buckeye Regional. Running from March 19 through March 21, the event stands as the oldest and most prestigious robotics tournament in the state. Forty-two teams from across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York will compete at the Cleveland State University facility located at 2000 Prospect Ave. These students do not work alone: They are mentored by adult professionals who help them navigate complex engineering design problems within a high-stakes competitive environment. According to the FIRST Ohio organization, the program is designed to mirror the intensity of an international sporting event while focusing on technical precision. This year's theme, titled REBUILT and presented by Haas, tasks teams with using STEM skills to reimagine the past. Teams must work in alliances of three to solve specific challenges on the field, accumulating points to climb the regional rankings. The Buckeye Regional is just one stop in a global circuit of nearly 200 competitions. The top-performing teams at the Wolstein Center will earn a spot at the FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas, where they will compete for a world title at the end of April. For the city of Cleveland, the tournament is a direct link to the region's industrial and scientific future. Local employers such as NASA's Glenn Research Center, Parker, Rockwell and the Swagelok Co. look to these students as the next generation of talent for careers in aerospace, research and advanced manufacturing. The program is not just about building machines: It is a pipeline for workforce development that keeps high-tech talent in Northeast Ohio. A highlight of the weekend is the Women in STEM Summit on Thursday, March 19. Hosted by FIRST Ohio and sponsored by the Great Lakes Science Center, the session runs from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Viking Loge. A panel of professional women will share insights from their career journeys during a session aimed at inspiring female team members and mentors. While it is especially designed for students in the competition, the summit is free and open to the public. The official schedule begins Thursday with team load-ins and practice matches starting at 8:30 a.m. and running until 6:30 p.m. Qualification matches are scheduled for Friday from 8 a.m. to 6:15 p.m., with the final round of qualifications and the playoff bracket taking place Saturday, March 21, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. -------------------- At Cleveland 13 News, we strive to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable reporting. If you spot an error, omission, or have information that may need updating, please email us at tips@cleveland13news.com. As a community-driven news network, we appreciate the help of our readers in ensuring the integrity of our reporting.