Intermediate students put their skills to the test at PVNC Catholic Coding & Robotics Competition

Dec. 8, 2025

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington (PVNC) Catholic District School Board office in Peterborough was buzzing with energy on Dec. 4, 2025 as intermediate students from several schools gathered for a dynamic coding and robotics competition.

Teams of four students from Grades 7 and 8 showcased their creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills as they designed, built and programmed robots capable of taking on a series of challenges.

Throughout the day, students put their robots to the test in:

• Wall Climb – scaling a warped ramp with precision and power
• Pass the Puck – collaborating with another team to pass a checkers piece back and forth.
• Autonomous Maze – coding a robot to find its own path through a maze
• Autonomous Shape Draw – programming a robot to draw circles, squares and triangles within a provided frame.
• Sumo Battle – competing head-to-head to push opponents out of the ring

The event highlighted STEM learning in PVNC Catholic schools, giving students an opportunity to explore real-world applications of coding, engineering and teamwork in a fun, competitive environment.

With plenty of cheers, problem-solving on the fly, and inspiring displays of perseverance, the competition was a celebration of the innovation happening in our classrooms—and the bright future of our young creators and engineers.