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2026-2027 RECF Season Update

September 17, 2026
We are excited to share an update on the current RECF season. In this video you will learn about our program growth, details about the 2027 RECF World Championship in St. Louis, information about upc...
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One of the World’s Fastest-Growing Student Drone Competition Programs Expands with Robotics Education & Competition Foundation and Robolink Partnership

August 31, 2026
GREENVILLE, Texas – August 31, 2026 – As drones transform aviation, public safety, agriculture, infrastructure, environmental monitoring, and other industries, employers will need a workf...
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RECF and AndyMark Collaborate to Offer Robotics Competition Part Opportunities

August 6, 2026
The Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF) has collaborated with AndyMark to support the RECF Achieve Robotics Competition and RECF Inspire Robotics Competition, giving participating ...
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Students work on robot

From First Flights to a “Drone Dynasty”: How the San Diego Unified School District Is Taking Off

August 5, 2026
When educator and drone coach, Sarah Hillard first registered a team for the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation’s (RECF) Aerial Drone Competition, she admits they did not fully know what...
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American Samoa Students Bring Drone Skills, Confidence, and Teamwork to the Mainland United States

July 24, 2026
Tony Leatualevao, Program Director of Technology Integration for the American Samoa Department of Education, said that for his students on their remote South Pacific island, joining the RECF’s Aerial...
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From Four Cadets to a Growing Drone Program: How a JROTC Instructor Is Expanding STEM Opportunity

July 23, 2026
When a drone first arrived from Cadet Command’s 7th Brigade at Fort Knox, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Odell Graves was not immediately sure how it was intended to be used. After learning they would be u...
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JROTC students participate in Aerial Drone Competition

Dallas Students Dream Bigger Through Robotics and Drones

July 21, 2026
For Patricia and Omar Cortez, Dallas ISD educators and coaches, robotics and drones mean much more than competing.  They leverage robotics and drone programs from the RECF to help students ga...
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From Drone Competition to Community Impact: A Student’s STEM Journey

July 15, 2026
When Keaton Spellacy, an 18-year-old student from Woodstock, Georgia, first joined a drone team through his JROTC program, he was immediately drawn to the hands-on challenge of competition. Introduce...
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The Future of STEM Competition Starts Here: Introducing RECF Robotics

June 2, 2026
The Robotics Education & Competition Foundation is proud to announce RECF Robotics, our official robotics competition for the 2026–2027 season. The robots, game elements, robot parts, and the cou...
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Important Update

May 10, 2026
For nearly twenty years, the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF) has worked in close partnership with VEX Robotics to build a strong foundation for STEM education and competitive r...
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Participant celebrates victory at the VEX Robotics World Championship

A Message to Our Community 

May 18, 2026
We hear you, and we are listening. There is a tremendous amount of anxiety, confusion, and concern in our community right now, and we are not ignoring it. As any student in our programs knows, rea...
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Teams compete at the VEX Robotics World Championship

Celebrating the Aerial Drone Competition’s Inaugural Signature Event

May 18, 2026
The Aerial Drone Competition’s inaugural signature event was held this spring in Terre Haute, IN. The Aerial Drone Competition’s March Madness: Hoosier Edition brought nearly 50 drone teams from acro...
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Logo for Aerial Drone Competition’s March Madness: Hoosier Edition event

Drones and Land Robotics Sync for Next-Level Strategy

May 18, 2026
Elevate your STEM skills with the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation Aerial Drone Competition Pro (ADC Pro), a new competition for students ages 13+ designed to bridge the gap between th...
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Student Drone Education Takes Flight in San Diego and Beyond

May 13, 2026
The sky is no longer the limit for students competing in the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation’s (RECF) Aerial Drone Competition. Through RECF’s partnership with Robolink and its versat...
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Rebuilding and Transformation: How Robotics Transformed the Thompson Family

February 27, 2026
In the small town of Pineville, LA, the Thompson family is redefining what it means to be a “tech family.”  Parents, Lauren and Jacob Thompson, are self-identifying country people who keep a ...
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From Quiet Curiosity to Confident Innovator: How Robotics Changed a Student’s Life

February 25, 2026
When the world shut down during COVID-19, Ayushmaan Bellum, then a sixth-grader from Folsom, CA, found himself isolated, bored, and unsure where to channel his curiosity. What began as a simple sugge...
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Student works on his robot

From Classroom to Career Pathways: Cindy Watson’s Vision for STEM Education Through the Aerial Drone Competition

February 10, 2026
In Forest, Virginia, an hour from the nearest interstate, opportunity is taking flight inside Forest Middle School. At the center of it all is Cindy Watson, a dedicated educator and coach who is rede...
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Cindy Watson with a robotics trophy

Q&A: With Scott Ransom from HAND ERC: Advancing the Future of Work Through AI, Robotics, and Education

February 9, 2026
An RECF partner, the National Science Foundation’s Human Augmentation via Dexterity Engineering Research Center (HAND ERC), is advancing breakthrough research where robotics, technology, and educatio...
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Building Leaders Through STEM: Insights from U.S. Space Force Chief Data & AI Officer

January 8, 2026
Chandra Donelson is a leader whose work spans the highest levels of government and the pages of children’s books. As the Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer for the United States Spa...
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From Competition Fields to Career Paths: The Power of AI and Robotics

January 2, 2026
When Arya Sasikumar first stepped into the world of robotics as a fifth grader, he had no idea the journey ahead would shape not only his academic path but also his vision for the future. Today, as a...
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Arya Sasikumar speaks at a robotics competition

Inspiration All Star Award Now Being Accepted

December 9, 2025
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2025-2026 Inspiration All-Star Award. Please see the award description and links to the applications below. Feel free to pass this notice on to others in yo...
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STEM Hall of Fame

A Technical Glitch Sparked a Masterclass in Integrity and Teamwork

December 10, 2025
At a recent Kanawha County VEX IQ Robotics Competition in Charleston, West Virginia, a technical glitch turned into one of those unforgettable moments that remind everyone why robotics is about so mu...
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Participants gather to help a team fix a glitch at a VEX IQ Robotics Competition event

Partnerships Building Pathways: Palmetto Partners

December 7, 2025
“How can we get more kids involved in robotics?” That vital question, posed by Bob Couch and the group of South Carolina engineers and CEOs of Palmetto Partners in the early 2000s, laid the foundatio...
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Ifeoluwa Ogunfolu’s Journey from Aerial Drone Competition Student to RECF Regional Support Specialist

October 27, 2025
When Ifeoluwa Ogunfolu’s guidance counselor suggested she try joining a drone team, she never imagined drones would play such a defining role in her education and career path. Now a junior at T...
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Ifeoluwa Ogunfolu and teammate hold award atevent

Building the Future: How Robotics and AI Are Powering Student Innovation at St. Andrew’s International School in Bangkok

November 13, 2025
For 17-year-old Mathias Paramel, what began as a hobby building radio-controlled (RC) planes has evolved into a passion for robotics, automation, and aviation. “My dad and I used to build drones toge...
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St. Andrews robotics participant works on robot

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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.
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