Photo provided CSA Fodrea’s sixth-grade robotics team, Falcon Force, #29544C, is the first elementary team in Indiana to secure a spot in the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship, set for April in St. Louis. Shown back row: Gemma Schwartz, Harley Quinn Burns, Oliver Jean, Tharakeshwar Pittala, Clara Davis; front row, Raghav Pal, Shaurya Chaudhari, Maira Shaikh, and Rakshana Rajeshkumar. Not pictured: Thierry Chery.
Seven local robotics teams will represent Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. on Saturday during the 2026 Indiana State Robotics Championship, and another from CSA Fodrea has already qualified for world championship competition after organizing an event to inspire girls to explore potential careers in STEM.
VEX IQ robotics teams from Columbus East High School, Central Middle School, L.F. Smith Elementary School and CSA Lincoln punched their tickets to 2026 Indiana State Robotics Championship due to their performance over the course of the season as BCSC continues to grow its robotics-related offerings.
VEX IQ is a robotics program designed for elementary and middle school students, where teams build and program robots to compete in a series of challenges. These include skill challenges, where robots are tested for their precision and control, and teamwork challenges, where teams collaborate in alliances with other teams to score points by completing specific tasks. Unlike battle bots, the focus is on cooperation and strategy, as teams work together to achieve the highest score.
Over 300 Indiana elementary, middle, and high school robotics teams will compete during the state championship on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium. BCSC sent eight teams to the Indiana Robotics State Championship last year.
Teams that qualified for the state championship include:
- #39972A – The Olympic Gears, Columbus East High School
- #47201A – Blitz Bots, Central Middle School
- #47201B – Burnt Circuits, Central Middle School
- #47201C – Central Cyborgs, Central Middle School
- #59813A – The Super Sonics, L.F. Smith Elementary School
- #59813B – The Sonic Cyborgs, L.F. Smith Elementary School
- #29544E – Iron Huskies, CSA Lincoln
This year’s championship hosted by TechPoint Youth, marks the final state competition before Indiana transitions to a regional model.
Columbus’ robotics program has grown exponentially in recent years, from two VEX IQ Robotics teams district-wide in 2023 to 41 teams this year. The district and corporate partners like Toyota Material Handling have also hosted a number of VEX Robotics tournaments this year.
In addition, CSA Fodrea’s sixth-grade robotics team, Falcon Force, #29544C, recently became the first elementary team in Indiana to secure a spot in the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship, set for April in St. Louis.
Falcon Force did so by earning first place out of 19 submissions in the final cycle of the VEX Online Challenge Competition, organized by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF). RECF puts together three cycles of online challenges, with the final round encompassing larger and more-in depth projects.
During the challenge, teams were were required to plan and host a “Girl Powered” event that inspires others to explore STEM.
Falcon Force devised InventHER: Girls in STEM, a free STEM night for girls from 8 to 12 years old, hosted at the Bartholomew County Public Library. The night featured a variety of interactive stations where participants could learn by doing.
Activities included driving VEX robots, coding and navigating Sphero robots, assembling 3D-printed keychains and fidgets, experimenting with Snap Circuits, creating designs with 3D pens and visiting a photo booth. Participants also explored a Women in STEM Gallery Walk and a Careers in STEM Gallery Walk, highlighting real-world role models and future career opportunities in STEM fields.
The event was supported by community partner Columbus Propeller, Inc. and local STEM advocate Tracy Munn. Volunteers from the organization helped run Snap Circuit and 3D pen activity stations, shared STEM expertise with participants, donated materials and door prizes, and helped promote the event through social media, according to organizers.
