(UNDATED) – The Indiana VEX Robotics State Championship will be hosted virtually, March 6th where the top 245 Indiana teams from elementary, middle, and high schools will compete to advance to the VEX Robotics World Championship 2021.
Indiana has more elementary and middle schools participating in VEX IQ robotics programs than any other state in the U.S. That’s due to TechPoint Foundation for Youth’s (TPF4Y) State Robotics Initiative. Since 2016, TPF4Y has focused on growing robotics programs in Indiana’s elementary, middle and high schools.
As growth continues, TPF4Y has expanded their grant offerings into high school.
President and CEO George Giltner shares, “The purpose for the expansion into high school is to assure that students who start in robotics at the elementary or middle school level have a pathway to continue as they move on to high school. Robotics is the best way to help prepare students for the real world so we are making sure we are doing our part to help grow that talent pipeline as they get ready to enter the workforce.”
Robotics teams help reinforce science, technology, engineering, and math skills, which are crucial for jobs of the future. Education experts say student interest in these subjects drops off in later grades, especially for girls. https://www.techpointyouth.org/robots
“TechPoint Foundation for Youth, with the support of our partners, has helped Indiana lead the nation in elementary and middle school robotics teams. The students of these robotics teams will become the leaders of tomorrow. By helping provide a pathway from elementary to middle school and now high school, we are able to nurture the passion the students have for STEM. With the end goal of a robotics team in every school, the Indiana workforce of the future is looking bright,” said Giltner.
Through the State Robotics Initiative, TPF4Y provides grants, professional development for teachers, and the largest state robotics competition in the country for Indiana schools and students. This year’s grants and State Championship would not be possible without the generous support of Guggenheim Life and Annuity, Indy Women in Tech, Indiana Department of Education, Herbert Simon Family Foundation, Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, and Roche Diagnostics. Visit this link for a full list of our event sponsors.
The current COVID pandemic has caused a shift in the normal proceedings for this year’s event. Safety and accessibility have always been at the forefront of planning this event and this year is no different, which is why TPF4Y made the difficult decision to turn the event virtual.
“We are committed to hosting an exceptional event that will reward Indiana students who have worked diligently to earn a chance to compete at the State Championship level. However, it is our top priority to make the event safe and accessible to all Indiana teams. This will be an unprecedented and dynamic one-day virtual event, with world-qualifying performance-based and judged awards available,” said TPF4Y Director of Programs Jamie Inskeep.
While the Indiana VEX Robotics State Championship will be conducted virtually this year, TPF4Y encourages donations to further the impact of the organization. To donate, click here.
To learn more about the event click here.
