To our Nebraska VEX IQ coaches,
We hope your summer is going well and you're getting some time away from the field! As the 2026-27 season comes into focus, here are some resources and updates to help you and your students get a head start on this year's game — Level Up.
🏆 Save the date: Nebraska VEX IQ State Championship
For the 2026-27 season, gainingSTEAM will be hosting the Nebraska VEX IQ State Championship on February 26 & 27, 2027 at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland. Mark your calendars now — more details and registration will follow as the date approaches.
🤖 Preparing for the season
Summer is a great time to keep students engaged with VEX Summer Camp curriculum, Hero Bot builds, and the official game videos. A few places to start:
- Build this year's Hero Bot — "Flop": A great baseline build for new and returning teams to iterate on throughout the season.
- Learn the new game — Level Up:
📝 Start your engineering notebook (paper or digital)
Notebooking is a core part of VIQRC. Choose what fits your team — paper or digital — and make steady, dated entries each practice.
- Learn more: notebooking.vex.com (overview of paper & digital options)
- Digital resources: Template | Instructions | Digital IQ Parts
- Paper tips: Use a bound notebook (no loose pages), add a table of contents, date every entry, and bring it to events.
📅 Event registration
Registration is open, and more events will be posted as Event Partners finalize their schedules. Check events.vex.com regularly for tournaments near you.
A note on fees: schools and nonprofits registering seven or more teams pay registration fees only for their first six teams — teams seven and above may qualify for fee waivers.
📚 The Global Robotics & Science Foundation Library
The GRSF Library is online and will keep growing through the season. It's home to the Event Qualification Guide, Competition Judge Guide, inspection sheets, certifications, and training materials.
🎓 Free VEX IQ educational resources
We're here to help
gainingSTEAM offers coach support, training, and event assistance across Nebraska. For tournaments we host or support, we provide the tournament-hosting equipment (fields, electronics, tablets, displays). Feel free to share this with other coaches or parents.
Contact us
- Email: [email protected]
- Web: gainingSTEAM.net
— Tara and Brandon Petersen, gainingSTEAM