Photo By Anna Marie G. Gonzales | Dylan Miyata, information technology specialist for Naval Facilities Engineering...... read more read more
Volunteers from the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Hawaii (NAVFAC HI), in collaboration with Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, mentored high school robotics teams during a six-week after-school program. Their goal was to help the students build industrial-sized robots capable of competing in the 2025 Hawaii Regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC).
The competition, held at Saint Louis High School in Honolulu from March 22-23, 2025, brought together 33 robotics teams from across the globe. Teams represented high schools from Hawaii, California, Iowa, Canada, Japan, Singapore, and Taipei.
Four NAVFAC Hawaii volunteers mentored local high school robotics teams for the event—Kapolei High School (Team 2445), mentored by Dylan Miyata; Moanalua High School (Team 2348), mentored by Tara Hashizume; Koolaupoko Community Team (Team 9019), mentored by Julie Weinstein; and James Campbell High School (Team 8871), mentored by Michelle Aguinaldo.
Dylan Miyata, an IT specialist for NAVFAC HI, has been mentoring robotics students at his former high school in Kapolei since 2017. He shares his thoughts on the rewarding experience of being a mentor.
“Being part of the program as an adult is incredibly enjoyable because I’m mentoring the next generation of engineers and IT professionals, setting these kids up for success in the future,” said Miyata. “That’s the most fulfilling part—it’s my way of giving back to the program that once taught me.”
The theme of this year's competition was "Reefscape," inspired by the ocean and its diverse ecosystems. The theme encouraged teams to explore STEM concepts and innovate solutions that could help create a better world with healthier oceans.
Diving into the competition, the concept of the game involved programming robots to navigate a field filled with PVC pipes representing coral and large inflatable balls symbolizing algae. The goal was for the robots to place the coral on poles protruding from a metal structure representing a reef. Teams also had to remove the algae from the ecosystem by launching the inflatable balls into a net suspended over the center of the court.
Although the NAVFAC HI teams did not win this year’s Hawaii Regional FRC, they walked away with invaluable experiences. The mentorship program fostered teamwork and collaboration, with students building strong relationships with their mentors and coaches. These mentors volunteered their personal time to share their expertise, emphasizing the importance of problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration in addressing real-world environmental challenges—principles that were central to the competition’s theme.
As part of the Department of Defense's DODStem program, the partnership aimed to promote lifelong learning and professional growth within Hawaii's STEM community. The mentorship program provided students with the opportunity to develop their engineering, programming, and teamwork skills while tackling relevant, real-world problems.
Among other robotics competitions, Team 8871 from James Campbell High School achieved an impressive victory at the Orange County Regionals FRC in California, ahead of the Hawaii Regional FRC.
“Representing NAVFAC Hawaii and DODStem at the Orange County Regionals, the 8871 Saber Dynamics team formed a powerful alliance with teams 4415 EPIC and 6995 NOMAD, ultimately winning the competition,” said Michelle Aguinaldo, mentor and specification writer supervisor for NAVFAC HI. “I’m proud of the team and extend a huge congratulations for their well-deserved victory.”
For more information about FRC, visit www.firstinspires.org/ or to learn more about DoDStem, visit www.dodstem.us/
For the command website, visit https://pacific.navfac.navy.mil/Facilities-Engineering-Commands/NAVFAC-Hawaii/
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.02.2025 13:44 |
| Story ID: | 494389 |
| Location: | HONOLULU, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 71 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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