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The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation Receives a Nearly $750K Grant from Texas Workforce Commission to Expand Robotics Throughout Texas

September 8, 2020
Texas Workforce Commission logo

Greenville, TX – September 3, 2020: The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation announced today that it is partnering with the Texas Workforce Commission’s Texas Youth Robotics Initiative to expand access of competitive robotics to traditionally underrepresented high school students for the 2020/2021 academic year. 

The REC Foundation has been awarded a nearly $750,000 grant to bring competitive robotics to rural and Title 1 schools around the state which will impact up to 4,800 high school students who wouldn’t otherwise have access to evidence-based STEM programming.

The grant will assist rural and Title 1 schools in the development of 150 new robotics teams, comprised of students who have not participated in competitive robotics previously, and to sustain 50 existing teams. Additionally, this grant will focus on inclusion for deaf and hard of hearing students across Texas. The REC Foundation is partnering with the Texas School for the Deaf to expand robotics by creating 25 new teams and holding a signature competition event for the deaf community, next spring in Austin. 

“We’re thrilled to receive a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to increase participation in competitive robotics in our home state of Texas,” said Dan Mantz, CEO of the REC Foundation. “This investment will offer the opportunity for thousands of students to access science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills. It will also help prepare the next generation of innovators to have a rewarding career which will ultimately help enhance Texas’s workforce.”

Through the creative process of designing, building, and programming robots for competition, students gain a wealth of technical knowledge and develop communication and teamwork skills that will serve them well throughout their lives. To learn more about the REC Foundation and how your high school can apply for this grant, visit https://wordpress-666401-4354293.cloudwaysapps.com/grant/twc-grant/.  

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About the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation

The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation’s mission is to increase student interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by engaging students in hands-on, affordable, and sustainable robotics engineering programs.

Media Contact

Jenn Goonan
Rocket Social Impact
Jenn@RocketSocialImpact.com
617.947.0971

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.
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