Welcome to the February 2025 edition of Drive Forward News! Thanks for reading!
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- VEX AIM is Now Available!
- A Foundation for Coding Success: VEX AIM
- Mexico Hosts 16th National Robotics Championship, Sends Top Teams to VEX Robotics World Championship
VEX AIM is Now Available!
We’re thrilled to announce the public availability of VEX AIM and VEXcode AIM, bringing powerful Computer Science robotics into your classrooms. The VEX AIM Coding Robot brings computer science off the screen and into your middle school and high school classrooms! Whether you’re just beginning your journey or advancing existing programs, these tools offer engaging, accessible paths to robotics mastery.
Dive right in with our easy-to-use, web-based version of VEXcode AIM, or opt for the downloadable application for Windows and Mac, allowing for seamless integration into your classroom’s tech environment.
VEX AIM and VEXcode AIM resources are now publicly available for educators and students! To support educators and students alike, we’ve launched extensive resources:
- VEXcode AIM API Documentation: Get detailed insights and guidance for advanced programming and customization.
- AIM Education Start Page: Your central hub for teaching materials and resources tailored specifically for VEX AIM.
- AIM STEM Labs: Engage students with structured, curriculum-aligned STEM Labs designed to enhance learning experiences.
- VEX Library Resources: Access comprehensive guides and articles to fully utilize the AIM platform.
Looking ahead, our commitment to continuous improvement means more exciting updates are around the corner:
- Free Educator Support (PD+): Coming late April or early May, offering dedicated training to help educators maximize AIM’s potential.
- VEXcode AIM Tablet Support: Launching soon for iPad (late April/early May) and Android Tablets (July/August), providing even greater accessibility.
The future of hands-on, AI-powered robotics education is here, and we’re just getting started.
Start Your VEX AIM Journey Today →
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A Foundation for Coding Success: VEX AIM
In her latest article, “The Value of Drive Mode in AIM: Laying a Foundation for Coding Success,” Audra Selkowitz, Senior Educational Developer at VEX Robotics, highlights how AIM’s Drive Mode simplifies students’ first steps in coding. Drive Mode enables hands-on interaction before introducing complex programming, building students’ confidence and foundational coding knowledge.
Selkowitz emphasizes that direct, immediate feedback from robot control helps students naturally grasp abstract programming ideas. This practical approach fosters essential skills like critical thinking, debugging, and algorithmic reasoning, setting students up for lasting coding success.
Read Audra Selkowitz’s full insights on how Drive Mode strengthens coding education here.
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Mexico Hosts 16th National Robotics Championship, Sends Top Teams to VEX Robotics World Championship
The 16° Campeonato Nacional de Robótica y Habilidades STEM (The 16th National Robotics and STEM Skills Championship), held at the Pachuca City Fairgrounds, in Hidalgo, Mexico, was a qualifying tournament for the 2025 VEX Robotics World Championship that is soon to be held in Dallas, Texas in May of 2025. This competition was a great opportunity for students to earn a spot in the World Championship, where they will compete against other teams from around the globe, while honoring and representing their own school, state and country in the largest robotics competition in the world.
During these three days, the city of Pachuca, Hidalgo turned into an epicenter of robotics and STEM, where teams showcased their skills, and competed against others in a race to secure their ticket to Dallas. These brilliant minds highlighted their creativity, their hard work, their determination, and their passion for STEM and robotics.
As one of the largest competitions in this category in the world, more than two hundred teams and three thousand participants went head to head for the winning spots. Several important figures such as Julio Menchaca Salazar, the Governor of Hidalgo, came to watch the event as well.
Sixteen teams will be representing Mexico in Dallas this year. We are excited to welcome these teams to Dallas, Texas for the 2025 VEX Robotics World Championship this May! Congratulations to every student, coach, volunteer, and participant who joined us at the 16° Campeonato Nacional de Robótica y Habilidades STEM this year.
¡Sigamos construyendo el futuro de la robótica en México y el mundo! 🤖🚀
VIQRC
Elementary School Award Winners
| Award | Team # and Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Excellence Award | 52510A Club SLB SEED Primaria | Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico |
| Teamwork Champion Award | 73713A Acuña Robotics | Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico |
| Teamwork Champion Award | 10622C ROBOTIK | Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Design Award | 10622C ROBOTIK | Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Robot Skills Champion | 10622C ROBOTIK | Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Judges Award | 73060A Basica Biblioteca STEM Tapachula 1 | Tapachula De Córdova Y Ordóñez, Chiapas, Mexico |
| Innovate Award | 73184B Academia E-1B | Ciudad Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico |
| Think Award | 11697A Colegio Columbia A | Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Build Award | 29043A DELFINES | Lagos De Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico |
Middle School Award Winners
| Award | Team # and Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Excellence Award | 92855T LOS MONOS 3000 DELMAR | Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico |
| Teamwork Champion Award | 92855T LOS MONOS 3000 DELMAR | Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico |
| Teamwork Champion Award | 10622A Robot-ik World Center | Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Design Award | 94001A MACH 3 | Toluca, Mexico State, Mexico |
| Robot Skills Champion | 79226A Los Galácticos | Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico |
| Judges Award | 64525B ASHGO-UPT2 | Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico |
| Innovate Award | 23641B ASH-UPH2 | Huejutla De Reyes, Hidalgo, Mexico |
| Think Award | 92855X BigBoy DELMAR | Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico |
| Build Award | 4982D Academia M-3D | Ciudad Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico |
| Sportsmanship Award | 64525B ASHGO-UPT2 | Tulancingo, Hidalgo, Mexico |
V5RC
Award Winners
| Award | Team # and Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Excellence Award – High School | 77353A CECyTEM 07 Epitacio Huerta | Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico |
| Excellence Award – Middle School | 8630B Colegio Columbia 2 | Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Tournament Champions | 97673Z ZETBOTS | Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Tournament Champions | 6109C Cetis 109 C | Ciudad Madero, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Tournament Finalists | 97673X AXOLOTL | Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico |
| Tournament Finalists | 60924A JAGUARES CLUB SLB-SEED TEC 11 VEX 5 HS VRC | Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico |
| Design Award | 3774Z Cecytem 01 Penjamillo | Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico |
| Robot Skills Champion | 8047F FNATIC | Lagos De Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico |
| Judges Award | 9727A OSOS 110 | Durango, Durango, Mexico |
| Innovate Award | 1674A Mechanical Bulls 16 | San Nicolas De Los Garza, Nuevo León, Mexico |
| Think Award | 40349J CECYTEM PERIBAN | Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico |
| Build Award | 17612M SpiderBots | Benito Juarez, Quintana Roo, Mexico |
| Sportsmanship Award | 79119A DELFINES | Lagos De Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico |
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Robotics season is heating up, and whether you’re exploring the possibilities of VEX AIM, cheering on champions from afar, or gearing up to join us in Dallas—we’re thrilled you’re here. Thanks for reading this edition of Drive Forward News, and we’ll keep bringing robotics excitement your way!
—Your Drive Forward News Team
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