World's Largest Robotics Competition Returns to Dallas

Event celebrates hands-on STEM learning with more than 35,000 attendees from around the globe

Greenville, TX – July 18, 2019 – The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation and the Dallas Sports Commission is announcing today at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas that the REC Foundation's VEX Robotics World Championship, will return to Dallas from 2021 through 2024.

The REC Foundation's VEX Robotics World Championship, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest robotics competition in the world, is a week-long event celebrating hands-on STEM learning and will take place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas. The world's top teams will gather to compete in robotics competitions focused on creative design and problem solving.

As a hotbed for STEM jobs and the home of the REC Foundation, based in Greenville, Texas, Dallas is the perfect choice for the competition. Dallas previously hosted the VEX Robotics World Championship in 2009 and 2010, so it's no stranger to the fun and excitement that comes with such a gathering.

"After a comprehensive search for cities to host the World's Largest Robotics Competition, we couldn't be happier to bring this event back to Dallas in 2021. Our home office is based in Texas just outside of Dallas, so we know first-hand how committed the city is to innovation, STEM education and the future workforce." said Dan Mantz, CEO of REC Foundation.

The VEX Robotics World Championship showcases students' technical skills and accomplishments through the following programs: the VEX IQ Challenge (Elementary & Middle School), the VEX Robotics Competition (Middle School & High School) and VEX U (College/University). Robotics teams from across the world compete in these programs on a local level throughout the year, culminating in 1,650 teams who qualified to attend the VEX Robotics World Championship based on their success at the state/regional championship. Over the course of the season, over 24,000 VEX Competition teams from around the world worked to expand their STEM-related skill sets.

"We are thrilled to partner with the REC Foundation to bring the VEX Robotics World Championships back home to Dallas for 2021-2024," said Monica Paul, the Executive Director of the Dallas Sports Commission. "STEM education is part of our DNA in Dallas and the extensive STEM and robotics community locally is not just important in our schools but in also recruiting companies, jobs and workforce to the Dallas area. Bringing the VEX Worlds to Dallas embodies the out of the box thinking that we have embraced as the Dallas Sports Commission is always looking to expand our portfolio of events and competitions we host."

The Dallas Sports Commission was influential in REC Foundation's decision to come back to Dallas.

"We're proud to partner with the Dallas Sports Commission to bring the competition to Dallas," said Mantz. "When deciding on a location, we were very impressed by Dallas Sports Commission's vision for the event as well as its team's commitment to help us grow the event and the city's dedication to STEM."

The REC Foundation and VEX Robotics also promote teamwork, collaboration and diversity within the STEM community through programs such as Girl Powered. The Girl Powered initiative provides tools and resources to students and mentors to promote female involvement in STEM and create an environment where students' confidence and abilities can flourish.

For more information, visit www.roboticseducation.org.

About the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation

The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation's mission is to increase student interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by engaging students in hands-on, affordable, and sustainable robotics engineering programs.

About VEX Robotics

VEX Robotics is a leading provider of educational and competitive robotics products to schools, universities, and robotics teams around the world. The VEX IQ and VEX EDR product lines span elementary, middle, and high schools with accessible, scalable, and affordable robotics solutions. Beyond science and engineering principles, a VEX Robotics project encourages teamwork, leadership, and problem solving among groups. It allows educators to easily customize projects to meet the level of students' abilities as they inspire & prepare the STEM problem-solvers of tomorrow.

About the Dallas Sports Commission

The Dallas Sports Commission pursues amateur, grassroots, collegiate and professional championship events, positioning Dallas as the premier sports destination. A division of VisitDallas, the Dallas Sports Commission focuses on generating economic impact as well as improving the quality of life within the community through sports.

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