TechWise Academy, through partnerships with Ball State University – College of Architecture and Planning, the George and Frances Ball Foundation, and the Innovation Connector, hosted five VEX Robotics teams for the 2025-2026 season. This program provides students with hands-on opportunities to explore engineering, programming, and collaborative problem-solving through competitive robotics. With teams spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels, students develop technical skills while learning the value of teamwork, perseverance, and creative problem-solving.
At the elementary level, our two VEX IQ teams introduce students to the fundamentals of robotics and engineering design. Using the VEX IQ platform, students build and program robots to compete in an annual competitive game. Along the way they develop mechanical reasoning, logical thinking, and teamwork skills while learning how to iterate on designs and improve performance through testing and refinement.
Our middle school VEX IQ team builds on these foundational experiences with more advanced robot designs. Students take greater ownership of the engineering process, working collaboratively to develop solutions, analyze performance, and refine their robots for competition.
At the high school level, our program includes two VEX V5 Robotics Competition teams. These students design, prototype, and program sophisticated robots capable of competing in fast-paced matches. Teams manage the entire engineering process—from brainstorming and mechanical design to autonomous programming and match strategy—mirroring the collaborative workflow used in real engineering environments.
Across all teams, students maintain engineering notebooks, present their work to judges, and demonstrate the core values of innovation, teamwork, and perseverance. Through robotics, students gain not only technical experience, but also confidence and problem-solving skills that prepare them for future STEM and engineering opportunities.
We would love to expand our competitive robotics program, but we need more adult coaches. Please reach out to ryan@techwiseacademy.com to learn more!
