The EPro8 Challenge is a competition, an engineering and problem solving race.  Every year over 10,000 students from 900 schools from throughout New Zealand take part.

Teams compete to:

• build large sized structures
• solve practical problems
• engineer using pulleys, motors, gears, wheels and axles
• invent machines that can complete simple tasks
• undertake unusual and fun experiments.
• construct basic electronic circuits.
• solve interesting problems using practical maths

Each team of four will be based at a workstation containing an impressive assortment of easy to use parts and equipment. The 3 hour event begins with a tutorial on the equipment teams will be using.

Teams will then be given a booklet containing a number of challenges. All the challenges are of an entertaining physical nature.

Teams will choose which challenges they wish to undertake. The harder the challenge, the more points it is worth. There is not enough time to finish all the challenges – so strategy is required to know which ones to go for.

When teams have completed a challenge they push the “Big Red Button”. They will be judged and the points will be added to the live leaderboard.

Heats will be held throughout New Zealand. The top teams from each heat qualify for the regional semifinals and a regional grand final. The winning team will be crowned the region’s EPro8 Challenge Champion.