VEX to hold Delaware’s largest youth robotics event this month

VEX Robotics, the fast-growing youth robotics program based in Texas, is making a splash in Delaware with two Championship competitions this month.

On Saturday, March 10, 40 regional middle and high school teams will compete in the Delaware State VEX Robotics Competition Championship, held at the King Center at Delaware State University in Dover from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

On Saturday, March 17, 48 elementary school teams will compete in the Delmarva VEX IQ Championship at Springer Middle School in Wilmington from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is the largest robotics event in Delaware, and the largest VEX IQ event on the East Coast.

VEX offers kits, software and curricula to schools and organizations to increase immersive STEM access to kids. VEX IQ focuses on elementary school students and plastic robots, while VEX EDR is geared to middle and high schoolers, with metal kits.

The relatively low-cost program allows kids to design, build and program robots with limited mentor involvement. In Delaware, in addition to school-based teams, there are 6 libraries in New Castle County that have VEX IQ programs, including the Route 9 Innovation Center.

This year’s EDR game is a cone-stacking competition called In the Zone; the VEX IQ game is called Ringmaster.

For more information about existing teams, how to start a new team and VEX grant information, click here.