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Robotics Competition & STEM EDUCATION The Perfect Pair By Jasmin Wells
This May, Dallas will welcome the most thrilling and electrifying robotic showcase. The mammoth event that is the VEX Robotics World Championship lands at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas (KBHCCD) May 3rd to 12th. This event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for teams worldwide to come together to celebrate STEM and compete in incomparable competition matches.
This year's VEX IQ Challenge, a challenge for elementary and middle school students, is called Pitching In. The challenge tests students' robotic driving skills and programming skills. Aimed to foster student development of teamwork, critical thinking, project management, and communication skills, Pitching In helps develop the new generation of innovators and problem solvers.
It is an extreme honor to participate in the competition, and teams must pass multiple hurdles to qualify to compete. There are two avenues to qualify: the 2021-2022 VEX IQ Challenge and the 2021-2022 VEX Robotics Competitions. Only the top teams from each program continue to the World Championship.
The other avenue to qualify for the World Championship is through VEX Robotics Competitions. Throughout 2021-2022, middle and high school age teams competed in the exciting game, Tipping Point, to earn their spot. This challenge requires teams to prepare their robot and complete an objective of attaining a higher score than