(PADUCAH, Ky.) — The Challenger Learning Center at Paducah, in partnership with West Kentucky Community & Technical College, will host the 11th annual West Kentucky RCX Regional Tournament on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Clemens Fine Arts Center.
The competition will feature 28 student teams from across the region vying for state qualifier positions. Winners will advance to the state event in April at Lexington’s Rupp Arena as part of the Kentucky Department of Education’s Student Technology Leadership Program.
During the tournament, student teams program LEGO robots to complete missions on a 4-by-8-foot competition mat. Each team has three attempts to score as many points as possible within a three-minute run. The highest score from any run determines winners at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
In preparation for the tournament, students spend the fall reviewing rules, brainstorming, designing, and testing their robots and attachments. The process emphasizes computer programming, problem solving, teamwork, and decision-making skills.
The 2025-2026 RCX competition theme is Game Time, featuring missions based on games such as Yahtzee, Scrabble, Jenga, Crazy 8’s, golf, bowling, and various field sports.
Tournament Schedule:
· 7:30–8:15 a.m.: Registration
· 8:15–8:45 a.m.: Opening Ceremony, Clemens Theater
· 8:55–11:50 a.m.: Tournament, Clemens Theater
· 12:10–12:30 p.m.: Closing Ceremony, Clemens Theater
For more information, contact Mellisa Duncan at 270-519-4552.
