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REC Foundation Announces the 2017 Online Challenge Winners

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GREENVILLE, TX – March 3, 2017 – The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2017 Online Challenges, which encourage students to take what they’ve learned through VEX Competitions and apply it to areas such as video creation, engineering design, website development, and photography. Students who submit to the Online Challenges have an opportunity to share their ideas, win prizes, and some receive a chance to compete at the VEX Robotics World Championship.

For the first time, young women were invited to share their personal journey through the, “Girl Powered: In Her Words Storybook Challenge.” This Online Challenge represents a joint initiative between the REC Foundation and VEX Robotics to double the involvement of young women in robotics by 2020.

“It’s thrilling to see the outstanding work that talented students from around the world present through these submissions, and I would like to applaud all who participated,” said Jason Morrella, President, the REC Foundation. “The participants of the 2017 Online Challenges are students who have learned technical and real world 21st century skills by being involved in STEM endeavors, including robotics, that will shape them into problem-solving leaders of tomorrow.”

The first-place winners of the 2017 Online Challenges are as follows:

Make It Real CAD Engineering Challenge, Sponsored by Autodesk:

Dell Technologies Robotics Team/Club Website Challenge:

  • Viking Colt Robotics, Team 8931A, Viking Colt Robotics Club, Lake Stevens High and Cavelero Mid-High School, Washington

Texas Instruments Electronics Online Challenge:

FUTURE Foundation Robot Construction Challenge:

Girl Powered: In Her Words Storybook Challenge:

V5RC Game Design Animation Challenge:

VEX IQ Challenge Promote Award:

VEX Robotics Competition Promote Award:

REC Foundation STEM Educational Video Challenge:

VEX Robotics Photography Challenge:

Robomatter VEX IQ & V5RC Programming Skills Challenge for Robot Virtual Worlds:

The winning students and teams will be presented their awards at the VEX Robotics World Championship, which will take place in Louisville, Ky. on April 19-25. Recognized as the largest robotics competition in the world, the VEX Robotics World Championship will unite 1,400 of the best robotics teams internationally who will gather to compete for the title of “World Champion” for the VEX IQ Challenge, VEX Robotics Competition, and VEX U. For more information about VEX Worlds, please visit www.VEXworlds.com. For more information about the REC Foundation, please visit www.RoboticsEducation.org or www.RobotEvents.com.

About the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation

The REC Foundation seeks to increase student interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by engaging students in hands-on, sustainable and affordable curriculum-based robotics engineering programs across the U.S. and internationally. The REC Foundation develops partnerships with K-12 education, higher education, government, industry, and the non-profit community to achieve this work.

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2025-2026 Signature Event Updates

  1. An Event Partner wanting to apply to host a Signature Event must have hosted events for at least 2 seasons prior to applying. 
  2. Signature Events must use the officially branded award banners for the Excellence Award and Tournament/Teamwork Champions Award.
  3. When hanging field skirts the VEX Robotics logo/brand name can not be covered up on the competition fields.
  4. VEX V5 Robotics Competition Signature Events may have regional capacity and max per organization restrictions lifted 8 weeks before the event if the event is not full (similar to the process already in place for VEX IQ Robotics Competition Signature Events).
  5. Minimum pit size reduced to 8’x 8’ instead of 10’x10’.
  6. Beginning in the 2025-2026 season, the REC Foundation will collect $10 instead of $5 per team registration on all Signature Events. This is to help offset travel costs for REC Foundation staff to support these larger events.

2025-2026 Signature Event Application Reminders

  1. Existing Signature Events only need to complete the Final Application (due by March 31, 2025)
  2. New Signature Event concepts will need to complete the Initial Proposal by January 31, 2025 and if approved, complete the Final Application by March 31, 2025.
Crowd watches the Signature Event in Minnesota's Mall of America
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Judges observe participants at VEX Robotics World Championship
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