BEST is a technology contest for high school and junior high students that simulates real world experiences in a sports-like robotics competition. Student teams are given the task of designing, building, testing, and reworking a robot in a six-week time frame using only specified materials. The robot must function competitively against other robots on the game field, accomplishing certain tasks and providing defensive maneuvers. The limited time frame and materials simulates the time-to-market and budget constraints of the real world of business. In addition to the robotics competition, students record their activities and strategies and develop a plan to educate the public about engineering and technology, to simulate project management and marketing responsibilities. This part of the competition, known as the BEST Award, equals the robotics awards in importance in the contest.

Texas Instruments of Sherman Texas developed BEST in 1993 as a way to involve secondary school students and encourage them to pursue careers in engineering and technology. The program was so successful that interest quickly grew, leading to 24 hubs with over 450 teams, involving more than 9,000 students, across the U.S. in 2001. NWA BEST formed in Fayetteville in 1998 with as many as 25 teams competing in any given year since then. Local businesses and the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas provide sponsorship and adult volunteers as organizers and coaches. While most of the teams participating in NWA BEST are located in Northwest Arkansas, several teams have now developed in other parts of the state, including the southern and eastern regions.

BEST benefits all of those who participate.