In 2005, OPEF started the first middle school VEX Roboticsprogram in Illinois.

The first 6 years of our program we designed our own challenge game and used a PVC pipe and plywood arena!

In 2007-2008, we added our first autonomous challenge, in which robots were programmed to move by themselves using sensor input. . .

. . . The challenge game was called Variable Maze.

In 2009, we began our High School Mentor program, in which graduates of our program come back to mentor team members.

For the 2010-2011 season, we designed for the national challenge game for the first time.

In 2010, we designed for the national challenge game for the first time.

We also used an official arena for the first time. No more PVC pipes!

In 2010, we designed for the national challenge game for the first time.

In 2011, we participated for the 1st time in a regional competition.

We were still theonly middle school VEX Robotics program in Illinois.

In the summer of 2012, we set out to help create other middle school VEX Robotics teams in Illinois.

We began networking with other schools and providing free advice, support and training for new VEX Robotics teams.

There were finally other VEX Robotics middle school teams in Illinois!

Five of them joined us at our Battle of the Bots Scrimmage in February, 2013.

In May 2013, we hosted the first Robotics Workshop for Girls.

In 2013, the OPEF VEX staff won the Illinois State Board of Education Those Who Excel Team Award of Merit for excellence in education.

By 2014, there were 37 middle school VEX Robotics teams in Illinois, enough to make our Battle of the Bots the 1st qualifying MS tournament in the state.

The 1st Illinois State Championship was also held in 2014.

With start of the 2014-2015 season, there were 120 students on 24 teams. Girls made up 29% of our program!

In our first 9 seasons, our program served over 700 students!

It’s 2015-2016 and our 10th anniversary season.

Our program now has:• 134 students• 34% of which are girls.

We also have 25 High school mentors.

There are 58 middle school VEX Robotics teams Illinois.

This year our students will attend 5 competitions—all middle school only.

And for the first time there will be an Illinois Middle School State Championship.