Events
Past events
Webinars
Team Portfolio Overhaul - What the Judges Expect This Season
Reflect updated rubrics and scoring focuses in notebooks and presentations.
How to Maximize Match Impact with a Limited Robot
For rookie or under-resourced teams: making a low-skill bot win matches.
How to Create a Customizable Subsystem - Modular Mechanisms for Iteration
Teach teams to design interchangeable arms, intakes, and drivetrains to adapt mid-season.
Game-Specific Drivetrain Guide: Choose the Right Base for This Year’s Field
Discussing omni, traction, X-drive, tank, and their advantages in the new terrain/setup.
How to Create a Customizable Subsystem: Modular Mechanisms for Iteration
Teaching teams to design interchangeable arms, intakes, and drivetrains to adapt mid-season.
CAD for the New Season: How to Start Your CAD Model the Right Way
Aimed at getting teams CAD-ready by June, before parts start arriving.
Game Element Interaction - How to Analyze and Manipulate This Year’s Game Elements
Focusing on the physics of the new game elements: gripping, launching, stacking, or dragging techniques.
Picking Your Bot Archetype: Defense, Support, or Scorer?
Early-season design decisions based on team skillset and game needs.
Designing for Scoring Efficiency: Max Output per Second
Calculating and building for peak scoring rate (shots/min, stacks/min, etc.)
From Rules to Strategy: Understanding the Vex V5 Game Manual Deep Dive
Teaching teams how to read between the lines of the game manual and Q&A updates.
Game Element Interaction - How to Analyze and Manipulate This Year’s Game Elements
Focusing on the physics of the new game elements: gripping, launching, stacking, or dragging techniques.
Robot Meta Forecast: What Types of Designs Will Dominate This Season?
Predicting possible dominant archetypes based on field elements and scoring zones.
How to Start Your Season Strong: From Brainstorm to Prototyping
First 2–4 weeks of season: how to go from rules to an effective early-stage robot.
Breaking Down This Year’s VEX Game: Strategy, Scoring, and What Wins
Analyzing the 2025–2026 game piece by piece: win conditions, scoring efficiency, and meta-shaping strategies.
How to Strategize for Tournament Matches and Alliance Selection
Strategic thinking becomes key during late-season competitions. This webinar will cover match strategy, including how to assess opponents, maximize your robot’s capabilities, and choose alliances that complement your team’s strengths.
How to Manage Your Robotics Team During the Final Weeks of Competition Season
As the season gets close to the final competition, it’s important to keep the team focused, organized, and motivated. This webinar will discuss how to prioritize tasks, keep morale high, and ensure everyone is contributing effectively.
How to Streamline Your Robotics Build Process for Maximum Efficiency
Teams are often under pressure to finish their robots on time. Learn techniques to maximize efficiency in your build process, including organization tips, task delegation, and reducing rework.
How to Perfect Your VEX Engineering Notebook for Judges - A Step-by-Step Guide
A step-by-step guide to creating a comprehensive, well-organized engineering notebook that will impress judges. We’ll go over what’s essential to include, how to document your team’s process, and how to make your notebook stand out.
How to Prepare for VEX Competition Inspections - What Judges Look For
Preparing for inspections is crucial to avoid surprises at the competition. This session will guide teams through the process, including common issues that arise during inspection and how to get your robot competition-ready.
How to Design for Multiple Uses - Making Your VEX Robot Adaptable
Cover how to make a robot adaptable to different game scenarios or tasks during the competition. This session will teach how to modify your robot’s mechanisms to perform better for different match configurations and challenges.
How to Build a Robust, Easy-to-Repair Robot
Teams often face unexpected failures during competition. This webinar will focus on building robots that are both durable and easy to repair on the fly, ensuring teams don’t get stuck during crucial matches.
How to Optimize Your Robot's Design for Efficiency and Performance
In this session, we’ll explore strategies to streamline a robot’s design for maximum efficiency, balancing weight, speed, strength, and maneuverability in preparation for competition.
How to Troubleshoot Your VEX Robot
Common problems and fixes: a detailed guide on diagnosing issues like motor malfunctions, sensor errors, or wiring problems. This webinar can help teams fix issues quickly in the final stretch of their season.
Events
Up the Ratios Community Robotics Showcase
A community event where local robotics teams showcased their designs and robots, while Up the Ratios highlighted their efforts to support young innovators. Teams also received mentorship and feedback on improving their robots for competitions.Occurred February 25, 2025, via Zoom at 5:30PM CST.
Women in Robotics: Panel Discussion & Networking
A virtual panel discussion featuring female engineers, computer scientists, and robotics professionals who shared their stories and advice on breaking into the male-dominated field. The event aimed to inspire girls to pursue robotics and STEM careers.Occurred February 15, 2025 at 6:00PM CST.
Up the Ratios: VEX Robotics Mentorship Day
Students and mentors from underfunded schools gathered to receive mentorship on building and programming robots for VEX competitions. The event also provided guidance on funding and resources for getting started in robotics.Occurred December 10, 2024, and virtually via Zoom.
STEM for Everyone: Fundraising Gala
A formal fundraising gala to support Up the Ratios’ mission of providing robotics access to students in underserved communities. The event featured keynote speakers, a silent auction, and opportunities for attendees to donate to the cause. Occurred November 14, 2024 at 8:00PM CST via Zoom.
Up the Ratios Robotics Kit Drive
A donation drive to collect unused robotics parts and kits from local communities, businesses, and schools. The event helped fund robotics teams for underprivileged students to compete in the VEX Robotics competitions.Occurs October 22, 2024 from 8AM to 8PM CST, in Houston, TX.
Up the Ratios International Robotics Challenge
A three-day competition featuring teams from underprivileged schools across the globe. The event aimed to bring awareness to the lack of STEM resources in many parts of the world while fostering international collaboration through robotics. Occurred September 14, 2024 at 6:00PM via Zoom.
Up the Ratios Summer Robotics Bootcamp
A five-day intensive bootcamp where students were given hands-on experience building robots and learning coding. The bootcamp ended with a mini-competition where students could show off their skills.Occurred August 5-9, 2024 over Zoom.
Global STEM Conference: Empowering the Next Generation
A global online conference where young innovators from underserved communities shared their STEM projects and experiences. The event showcased work done by Up the Ratios beneficiaries, celebrating their creativity and resilience. Occurred via Zoom.
STEM Access for All: Virtual Workshop Series
A free virtual workshop for students and educators on how to gain access to robotics kits and learn basic STEM skills using recycled and donated materials. Featured guest speakers included former VEX Robotics competitors and STEM educators. Every Wednesday from June 12, 2024 to July 10, 2024 at 5PM CST to 6PM CST.
Building Dreams: STEM Fair for Kids
A community STEM fair that encouraged students to create and present their own projects, ranging from simple mechanical devices to complex engineering designs. Up the Ratios provided scholarships for top student projects to attend robotics competitions. Occurred April 5, 2024, in Houston, TX.
