The inaugural Indiana VEX Robotics State Championship was recently held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Over 300 robotics teams from elementary, middle and high schools across the state competed in the first ever “Super Bowl of STEM”.
The VEX Robotics competitions are put on by TechPoint Foundation for Youth, which is committed to inspiring the state’s underserved K-12 students by providing opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Having access to experiential learning opportunities inspires the pursuit of STEM careers for Indiana youth.
To reach the State Championship, teams had to win a State Qualifying award at a local competition. The State Robotics Initiative (SRI) was launched in 2016 to expand upon the successful IndyVRC. Robotics is a platform that engages a diverse student population and engages them in complex, fun ways which encourages critical thinking skills. Mechanical and electrical knowledge, as well as an understanding of computer programming are required to be successful as a team.
Helmer Scientific engineer, Rex Kong, led a group of volunteers from Helmer as they helped host the 2018 event. “It was a fantastic experience and really inspires me to see the next generation as they grow up”, said Kong. Helmer understands these opportunities will provide valuable knowledge and expertise in the STEM areas that will provide the future engineers and scientists of our workforce.
Watch the video to see the excitement and success of the inaugural Indiana VEX Robotics event.
Strong Futures: Empowering Kids and Youth is an employee driven service campaign intended to encourage employees and their families to serve together to empower at-risk kids and youth.
Video provided by Techpoint Foundation for Youth
