Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) announced that ten of its First Lego League robotics teams participated in the December 6 Regional Qualifier at Crittenden Middle School, marking NNPS as the largest school division in terms of participation.
According to a news release by NNPS, this year, the robotics teams took part in the Unearthed Challenge, where they designed and built robots to compete in various categories. In Division 1, Newsome Park Elementary secured first place for the Innovation Project and will serve as an alternate for the state competition in January. Yates Elementary earned first place for Robot Design, General Stanford Elementary received the Core Values Award, and McIntosh Elementary was recognized with the Judges Award.
The event also acknowledged Crittenden Middle School’s custodial staff with the Volunteer Award. All NNPS robotics teams are set to showcase their robots again during the informal Unearthed Challenge at the NNPS/CNU STEM Community Day on May 30, 2026, at Christopher Newport University’s Freeman Center.
“NNPS is one of the only school divisions in the area that provides coaching stipends and covers entry fees and field kit costs each year for all of our First Lego League teams, reflecting our commitment to expanding STEM education and opportunity,” said Tami Byron, NNPS STEM Instructional Supervisor. “We want every teacher, school and student interested in robotics to have meaningful access to high quality experiences. We are so proud of our teams for their creative coding, thoughtful project work and strong engineering.”
Newport News Public Schools serves approximately 26,000 students across 40 schools, including early childhood centers as well as elementary, middle, high, and combination schools. The district includes over 1,500 students who speak a language other than English. It employs roughly 3,900 teachers, administrators, and support staff with a focus on preparing all students to graduate college-, career-, and citizen-ready. NNPS offers early learning programs along with advanced science labs and educational technology to bolster student and teacher success. The district is governed by a seven-member elected School Board with Dr. Michele Mitchell serving as superintendent. Board meetings are public events that include structured opportunities for citizen input.
