Vernon’s young engineers proved they are among the best in the region this weekend, representing schools from across the district with pride. On Saturday, February 21, 2026, robotics teams from the OARA Youth Innovation Lab competed in the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Interior Regional Competition held at H.S. Grenda Middle School in Lake Country. In a competitive field of 17 teams from across the BC Interior, Vernon teams secured two spots on the podium — grabbing both 2nd and 3rd place overall, along with major technical and teamwork awards.
This is our third year sending FLL teams to competition. You can read our past stories and updates on our News & Updates page.
⛏️ A Season “Unearthed”
The 2025–2026 FLL season theme, “UNEARTHED,” combined robotics with the world of archaeology. Since August, the teams have been working tirelessly to design, build, and code autonomous robots capable of completing missions on a LEGO field inspired by real-world archaeological discoveries.
OARA Robotics teams are comprised of students from schools across Vernon — from SilverStar Elementary, Okanagan Landing Elementary, St. James School, VSS High School, vLearn — who collaborate, solve problems, and innovate as a single unit.
Students were also assisted by feedback from experts in the field of archaeology, who helped connect the “Unearthed” theme to real-world research and practice. We are grateful to the following for sharing their expertise:
Thanks to Our Archaeology Experts
Neha Gupta (She, Her, Hers)
Assistant Professor – Anthropology, Digital Arts and Humanities, Global Studies
University of British Columbia Okanagan
Director, DARE | Digital Archaeology Research Environment
Natasha Lyons, PhD
Director & Senior Archaeologist, Ursus Heritage
Natasha has served as Director and Senior Archaeologist since co-founding Ursus in 2008. She is Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Archaeology at Simon Fraser University, with 25 years of experience as an archaeobotanist and community-based archaeologist. She is particularly focused on working with Indigenous communities to achieve their self-defined heritage goals, with longstanding research partnerships including the Sq’ewlets, Katzie, and Sts’ailes Nations and the Inuvialuit of the Canadian Western Arctic. Natasha holds a PhD from the University of Calgary and is an active member of the Archaeological Society of BC, Canadian Archaeological Association, and Society for American Archaeology.
🏆 OARA Teams Dominate the Standings
OARA represented Vernon with four teams: three in the Challenge division (ages 9–16) and one in the Explore division (ages 6–10). The results speak for themselves.
Team Excavators
This team impressed the judges with their technical skills, securing 2nd place overall and winning the Engineering Excellence Award for their robust robot design and efficient autonomous programming.
Team Members
- Nelson Sage vLearn
- Silas Arsenault St. James School
- Luke Smith Self Design
Mountain Shredders
A fantastic performance earned them 3rd place overall. They were also honored with the FIRST Core Values Award — the highest recognition for spirit, teamwork, and professional behavior at competition.
Team Members
- Kesler Embley VSS High School
- Sidharth Pillai SilverStar Elementary
- Manthon Vo Okanagan Landing Elementary
💪 Other OARA Teams
All four OARA teams brought their best to the competition floor, showcasing the depth of talent at the OARA Innovation Lab.
Team Saturday
FLL Challenge DivisionThis team put up a strong fight against the regional contenders, successfully navigating the complex “Unearthed” missions and demonstrating excellent robot programming.
- Ryker Chorley SilverStar Elementary
- Huey Shin SilverStar Elementary
- Hayden Shin SilverStar Elementary
Vernon Explorers
FLL Explore Division (Ages 6–10)Our youngest innovators participated in the FLL Explore Festival, presenting their motorized models and creative posters with confidence and enthusiasm.
- Arjun Pillai SilverStar Elementary
- Angus Chisholm St. James School
- Ethan Khazen vLearn
Special thanks to School District 22 (SD22) for their continued support of STEM education and the Vernon community.
Support OARA — We Need Your Help
Programs like FLL and our makerspace depend on community support. OARA is in need of funding to keep offering these opportunities to Vernon youth. If you or your organization are interested in sponsorships or funding, we would love to hear from you.
About OARA Youth Innovation Lab
OARA is dedicated to providing Vernon youth with opportunities to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in a fun, hands-on environment. Located at 3125 31 Ave, Vernon, BC, we are proud to bring students together from diverse educational backgrounds — public schools, independent schools, and home learning — to build skills that last a lifetime.
A special note on parent participation: Across all programs at OARA, the credit goes to parents, coaches, and students working together. Thank you for your partnership in making these experiences possible.