The 11th Annual Kansas BEST robotics competition, designed to inspire and motivate high school students toward careers in engineering, science and technology, will be held from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, in Wichita State’s Charles Koch Arena.

Twenty-nine high schools and organizations from Arkansas and all areas of Kansas will compete in Kansas BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology) event. This year’s game is called “High Octane.”

Students will give their robots a trial run on Practice Day from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Towne East Mall.

The sports-like technology contest combines the excitement of a high school football game with the strategy of a chess match and the intellectual challenge of a science fair. Working from identical kits, each team has had six weeks to design and build their robot.

The 2009 game includes an additional competition for the BEST Award to the team that best embodies the concept of Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology.

Following is the list of 25 returning teams and four new teams competing: Ambassadors for Christ Academy, Andale High School, Andover Central High School, Atchison High School, Baldwin High School, Blue Valley High School, Buhler High School, Campus High School, Circle High School, Concordia High School, El Dorado High School, Emporia High School, Goddard High School, Hutchinson CTE, Independence High School, Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School, Lawrence High School, Madison High School, Mulvane High School, Northeast Magnet High School, Olathe South High School, Panther Creek Academy, Rose Hill High School, Topeka High School, Valley Center High School, Washburn Rural, Wichita Southeast High School, Wichita West High School and Wichita Home School.

Winners of Kansas BEST 2009 will travel to Fort Smith, Ark., to compete in the Frontier Trails Regional Competition at the University of Arkansas Dec. 4-5.

Kansas BEST is made possible with the support of the following sponsors: Cessna Aircraft Co., The Boeing Co., Spirit AeroSystems, Bombardier Learjet, Great Plains Ventures Inc., igus Inc., Solid Works, AIAA-Wichita Section, The Hangar, Susan Burdick Graphic Design and Illustration and the WSU College of Engineering.

For more information, visit the Kansas BEST Web site http://www.kansasbest.org.