The FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Nebraska Championship brought together 22 qualifying teams and 125 students throughout the state (ages 12-18) to the Metropolitan Community College (MCC) Center for Advanced and Emerging Technology on the Fort Omaha Campus for a day of team-based robotics competition. FTC events like the Nebraska Championship put STEM learning on display in a sports-like format, with student designed and controlled robots maneuvering a playing field in timed, head to-head competitions.

In addition to direct competition, teams were judged for their technical design, engineering, programming, documentation, communication and professionalism. Astra Machina, an Omaha Creighton Prep team, emerged as the 2026 FTC Nebraska Champion. Rebel Robotics from Norfolk, won the Inspire Award, described as the top honor of FTC competition by the organization.

Both teams will represent Nebraska at the FIRST Championship in Houston April 29-May 2, a world competition that features more than 19,000 students from 60-plus countries. Both teams qualified for the FIRST Championship last year.

“By serving as the state’s FTC program delivery organization, MCC is ensuring students statewide have meaningful access to STEM experiences that connect directly to workforce needs and strengthen Nebraska’s long-term talent pipeline,” said Tammy Green, MCC executive director of Statewide Workforce Education Initiatives.

“Robotics education isn’t just building robots — it’s building Nebraska’s future workforce by igniting creativity, coding skills, and career pathways for every student,” Green said. “At MCC, we believe access to high-quality STEM opportunities should not depend on a student’s zip code. From rural to urban communities across Nebraska, expanding robotics programming means expanding access to engineering, design, programming and advanced manufacturing pathways that lead to real careers.”

Team representation reached far beyond Omaha — Columbus, Deshler, Geneva, Gordon/Rushville, Lincoln, Norfolk, Scottsbluff, Scribner/Snyder and Wallace. This year’s championship included eight more teams than last year’s finals.

For more information, you can visit mccneb.edu.