District Robotics Competition Returning To Bridgewater-Raritan High School

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater-Raritan High School will again host a district robotics competition this spring, bringing more than 30 teams to the school for the final district event of the 2027 season.

The competition is scheduled for Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11, 2027, in the school’s Vaughn Stapleton Gymnasium.

Bridgewater-Raritan High School’s FIRST Robotics Team, Team 303 T.E.S.T. Robotics, was selected to host the event.

Teams from New Jersey, Delaware and Eastern Pennsylvania will compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition game Biocore. The event will be free and open to the public.

The district competition is a qualifying stop for the FIRST Mid-Atlantic Championship.

According to the school district, teams at Bridgewater-Raritan will be bidding to secure a spot at the FIRST Mid-Atlantic Championship at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, from April 14 to 17.

Bridgewater-Raritan High School had regularly hosted the FRC District competition each year until the COVID shutdown in 2020.

The school has not held the event since then, according to Jim Griffin, advisor to Team 303 and a high school STEM teacher.

"Over the summer, FMA leadership approached our team to once again host this year, in part recognizing the incredible work the entire time put in last year, as we strive towards returning to our place as a perennial top team in the district," Griffin said.

The return of the district event brings one of the region’s larger robotics competitions back to the high school campus after several years away.

The competition is expected to draw teams from three states as they compete for advancement later that same week.

Before the district event arrives, Team 303 is also set to appear at RoboCon at Bridgewater Commons

. That event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, and Sunday, Sept. 27, and will feature matches from last season’s game, Rebuilt, in the mall’s Center Court.

RoboCon will also include STEM activities throughout the mall. The event is scheduled from 12 noon to 5 p.m. on both days, with activities described as suitable for all ages.