The 2018-19 VEX IQ Challenge season will bring another exciting year of competitive robotics to Elementary and Middle School students all over Iowa and Nebraska.
The VEX IQ Challenge Next Level brings elementary and middle school students together to compete in teamwork challenges with custom-built robots using the VEX IQ platform. Teams compete as an alliance during a 60-second match, working collaboratively to score points. Together, they seek to attain the highest score by placing colorful hubs in building zones, by removing hubs from the hanging structure, and by hanging robots at the end of the match.
Next Level Game Details
Each year, a new game is announced for the teams to compete in. Students can find the specific details of this year’s game in the following links
Have questions? You can always ask a fellow coach in the area. You can also ask them on the VEX IQ forum.
2018-19 Schedule
- Mary Our Queen VEX IQ Tournament
Saturday, November 10th
Elementary – Event Details
Middle School – Event Details - Marrs VEX IQ Tournament
Saturday, December 1st
Elementary – Event Details
Middle School – Event Details - Jr. Jacket Robotics Vex IQ Tournament
Saturday, December 8th
Elementary – Event Details
Middle School – Event Details - St. Robert Bellarmine VEX IQ Tournament
Saturday, January 12th
Elementary Event
Middle School Event - Pwnament VEX IQ Tournament
Saturday, February 2nd
Mixed Elementary & Middle School Event - Nebraska / Iowa Regional
Date TBD
Elementary Event
Middle School Event
Next Steps
Use the following resources to help your team get started in enjoying an amazing learning experience in the VEX IQ Challenge.
Register your team:
Visit Robotevents.com/robot-competitions/vex-iq-challenge and click on the “Register a Team!” button to be guided through the team registration process. The team registration fee is $150 for the first team in your school or organization and $100 for each additional team in the same school or organization. Included with your paid team registration fee is a Welcome Kit, which contains helpful information and resources to support your team’s participation in the VEX IQ Challenge.
Use the free curriculum:
The free, standards-matching VEX IQ curriculum will help you use the VEX IQ platform to bring powerful STEM lessons to life. Flexible units of instruction will engage elementary and middle school students in lessons that are aligned to the Common Core, Next Generation Science, and Technological Literacy standards. For curriculum details, please visit: www.vexrobotics.com/vexiq/education/iq-curriculum.
Download instructional videos, user guides, firmware updates, and resources:
Visit this site to download a variety of valuable VEX IQ resources at no cost: www.vexrobotics.com/vexiq/explore
Learn the Robot Game rules:
Your team should learn about the robot game rules and the Teamwork, Programming Skills, and Robot Skills Challenges by reviewing the Game Manual on the VEX IQ Current Challenge site: www.vexrobotics.com/vexiq/competition/viqc-current-game.
Explore the STEM Research Project:
Your team is challenged to explore a topic of interest related to the STEM theme for the season. Your students will then develop and organize research on their topic and share their findings in a four-minute video presentation to event judges. For more details on the STEM Research Project, please visit: www.roboticseducation.org/vex-iq-challenge/viq-current-game/.
Register for events:
Register to participate in one or more events during the season. Details of scheduled events are updated throughout the season on www.robotevents.com. Teams must pay their team registration fee for the season prior to registering to participate in a VEX IQ Challenge event. VEX IQ event registration fees vary, but usually range from free scrimmages to $25-$75 per team for qualifying events.
Participate in the Forum:
For answers to general, as well as technical questions, and to collaborate with the VEX IQ community, visit www.vexiqforum.com/. Registration for the VEX IQ forum is free.
Find more tips for starting and organizing a team here:
https://www.roboticseducation.org/documents/2018/06/how-to-start-and-organize-a-vex-iq-challenge-team.pdf
Are you a rookie team looking for where to begin?
With the rapid growth, we have several young teams that will benefit from a ‘starter’ design to begin their season with. The VEX Robotics engineering team released the Flex Robot Build instructions. This design will work with the current game, allowing students to do basic lower scoring in matches. The Flex design serves as a simple base to start from, giving the students plenty opportunity for learning and improvements for the season.
Feel Free to Share
Hopefully this email was helpful to new and veteran teams. Please share this with anyone interested, if they wish to be added to the list they send an email to [email protected]
Have suggestions on additional topics that should be shared with the regional VEX IQ community? Don’t hesitate to send us a note.
Tara and Brandon Petersen