On Friday, February 6, 2026, the Ohio Space Grant Consortium (OSGC) hosted the VEX IQ Robotics Competition at the Ohio Aerospace Institute. The student teams from schools across the NE Ohio region showed that despite snowy, blustery conditions, their competitive spirit could not be cooled. The students, along with their coaches and families, gathered for an exciting day of innovation, teamwork, and robotics excellence.
This year’s VEX IQ game, Mix and Match, challenged teams to think strategically, collaborate effectively, and design robots capable of sorting and scoring game elements with precision. The game required not only strong engineering skills, but also adaptability and communication as teams worked through multiple qualification rounds and head-to-head matches.
Throughout the day, students demonstrated perseverance and problem-solving under pressure. Between matches, teams made quick adjustments to their builds, refined their coding, and encouraged one another. Judges and spectators alike were impressed by the students’ creativity, sportsmanship, and technical knowledge.
Throughout the day, the sound of laughter, cheers, and the steady hum of the mechanical creations filled the competition space as alliances formed and strategies unfolded. It was a true celebration of STEM learning in action.
We are incredibly proud to announce that, because of their outstanding performance, three of the teams have qualified for the State VEX Competition. This achievement reflects months of hard work, dedication, and commitment the students applied to the engineering design process.
Congratulations to all of the competitors for representing their schools with excellence. We look forward to cheering on the three advancing teams during the state competition—and their continued work to build, code, and innovate together!
Robotics season is reaching its culmination, and if this competition is any indication, the future of engineering is in very capable hands.
To learn more about the Ohio Space Grant Consortium programs and events, visit: https://oai.org/workforce-development/stem
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About The Ohio Space Grant Consortium
The Ohio Space Grant Consortium (OSGC) was established in 1989 (along with the original Ohio 12-member universities) by the United States Congress and is part of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program known as “Space Grant” administered through the Office of STEM Engagement at NASA Headquarters. There are 52 consortia, one in each state, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Space Grant is a unique national network of colleges and universities working to expand opportunities for Americans to understand and participate in NASA’s aeronautics and space projects by supporting and enhancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) through scholarships, fellowships, higher education, research infrastructure, pre-college (K-12), and informal education public outreach efforts. The Space Grant national network includes over 1,000 affiliates from universities, colleges, industry, museums, science centers, and state and local agencies. The OSGC is currently composed of 26 institutions of higher learning (20 universities and 6 community colleges), NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), the Air Force Research Laboratories (AFRL), and various education outreach partners. The OSGC Program Office is located at the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) in Cleveland, Ohio.
About Parallax Advanced Research & the Ohio Aerospace Institute
Parallax Advanced Research is an advanced research institute that tackles global challenges through strategic partnerships with government, industry, and academia. It accelerates innovation, addresses critical global issues, and develops groundbreaking ideas with its partners. In 2023, Parallax and the Ohio Aerospace Institute formed a collaborative affiliation to drive innovation and technological advancements across Ohio and the nation. The Ohio Aerospace Institute plays a pivotal role in advancing aerospace through collaboration, education, and workforce development.