HI HCR143

Urges the Hawaii Department of Education to officially recognize robotics as an interscholastic sport, following states like Texas, Connecticut, Arizona, and Minnesota that have already done so.

Hawaii's robotics programs through FIRST and VEX Robotics currently engage more than 2,500 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 across the state.

The state's first robotics program was established at Waialua High School in 1999, but numerous teams have been lost since 2009 due to insufficient resources and lack of mentors.

Programs at schools including Maui High School and James Campbell High School face threats from inconsistent funding, with recent federal funding cuts forcing reliance on competitive grants.

Directs the Department of Education to conduct an assessment determining the appropriate fiscal support needed to maintain robotics programs statewide.