Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas.

Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.

Impact:  We apply what we learn to improve our world.

Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.

Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.

Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do!

FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2025

THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS - EXHIBIT BUILDING

APPLICATION ENTRY DEADLINE : JANUARY 10,2025 BY 5PM ENTRY PAYMENT DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 28, 2025 BY 5PM

We offering in-person and remote competition events to cater to both, teams who want to participate in an exciting competition event held on a Saturday together with many other teams and teams who do not want to travel or have conflicts during the competition weekends.  A school/robotics program may participate in both formats but a single student may only compete in one of the competitions (in-person or remote).  Schools/robotics programs may participate with a maximum of 8 teams per age group (elementary school division: K-5th grade, middle school division: 6th-8th grade). A team consists of at least 3 students. While there is no upper limit in team members, a team size of 3-5 students is recommended.

We offer five different leagues (Amarillo, Frenship, Lubbock, Midland, remote) with dates shown under tournament events.  The best teams from all leagues, including the remote teams with be invited to the GEAR championship in Lubbock. Teams will receive their game mats and game elements during the kickoff event. 

Remote teams should make arrangements to pick up their game mats and elements from Texas Tech University campus or purchase their own. 

We will keep two components from last year’s remote competition:

• The highest score from trial run (video submission or event participation) will count towards the total score recorded at game day

• Teams who wish to compete for the Young Engineeer’s Award will need to submit an Engineering Design Process video 1 week prior to game day (it’s score will only count toward the Young Engineer Award). There will no longer be an essay component.

GEAR provides an exciting hands-on LEGO robotics challenge to elementary and middle school students at no participation fee, with the goal of increasing interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) disciplines while offering mentoring opportunities to engineering undergraduate students at Texas Tech University in an effort to improve their education and increase retention rates.

GEAR itself (found at www.gearrobotics.org) is a nonprofit 401(c)(3) volunteer organization that was created to foster interest among today's youth in engineering, science, and technology. It provides the game rules for the annual competition with instructions on how to build game tables and where to purchase game elements. GEAR also maintains a Question and Answer section on its website. GEAR tournaments are held at various locations listed on the GEAR website.

The TTU GEAR tournament is held annually in during the spring semester. It is open to students in grades K-8 from all schools / after school clubs that are sponsored by a teacher or coach. Sign-up of individual students is not possible. The competition challenge changes annually, but a set of general rules remains the same every year.

The tournament offers a large degree of flexibility in how and to what extent schools / after school clubs want to participate in the competition. In the past, some schools offered LEGO robotics as an after-school activity, while others incorporated the activity into their math, science, technology, or gifted and talented GT classes. Teams meet between once a week after school to five days a week in class. Each participating team must have a LEGO Spike Prime, EV3 or NXT robotics kit and access to a computer/laptop in order to program their robot.