Wichita State University's College of Engineering is partnering with the College of Education to host the 16th annual Shocker Mindstorms Challenge, "May the Force Be With Wu." The robotics competition for students in third through eighth grades will take place from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27, in the Heskett Center gymnasium at WSU.

The awards ceremonies for beginner teams will be held at 3 p.m. and for expert and intermediate teams at 5 p.m. in Hubbard Hall, Room 208.

The competition will host 41 teams and 442 students, the largest number ever registered. It is sponsored by Wichita State’s colleges of engineering and education, Boeing and Airbus, and is supported by Flight Safety and the National Institute for Aviation Research.

Students prepare for the competition months in advance, developing their science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills, as well as teamwork, sportsmanship and communication. At the competition, teams try to score points by directing their Lego robots through obstacle courses designed by WSU engineering students. This year’s courses were designed around a Star Wars theme and have names like “Wu2 D2,” “Let the Wukiee Win” and “The Course Awakens.”

In addition to the obstacle course, teams are required to demonstrate what they have learned through team presentations, interviews and notebooks.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, go to www.wichita.edu/mindstorms.