CHASEWOOD LEARNING

March 17, 2026 | Chasewood Learning, Naperville, IL

 

 What just happened in Illinois competitive robotics over the past four days is something most programs never experience in a lifetime, let alone a single weekend. Chasewood Learning's student robotics teams didn't just compete at the 2026 Illinois State Championships. They dominated. Across three separate competitions and three distinct robotics programs, our students claimed nearly every award available and punched multiple tickets to the VEX World Championships in St. Louis.

 

 This doesn't happen by accident. It happens because of who these students are, how hard they work, and the culture of excellence that Chasewood Learning has built from the ground up.

 

VEX IQ Middle School: A Perfect Clean Sweep

 

 On March 17th, Chasewood's VEX IQ middle school teams delivered one of the most remarkable performances in Illinois robotics history. Competing at the Illinois State Championships, they pulled off a one-point victory, the narrowest of margins, the highest of stakes. And they didn't stop there.

 

Our VEX IQ teams took home the Excellence Award, the Skills Award, the Design Award, and the State Championship Title.

 

These teams are now headed to the VEX IQ World Championships in St. Louis at the end of April.

 

VEX V5 Middle School: Double Champions, Double Qualifiers

 

Just days earlier, on March 14th, our VEX V5 middle school teams made their own piece of history. Both teams finished as Team Champions at their competition. They also claimed the Excellence Award and the Skills Championship, earning dual qualification to the VEX V5 World Championships in St. Louis.

 

For a single team to reach this level is an achievement. To have two teams from the same organization accomplish it simultaneously speaks to something deeper: a program-wide standard of excellence that our students have fully embraced.

 

VEX V5 High School: A Historic Run at States

 

On March 15th, Chasewood's high school VEX V5 team, Team 27827Z, competed at the Illinois State Championship and battled their way to the semifinals. One more win would have sent them to Worlds. Their run was extraordinary and a testament to the grit and preparation they brought to every match.

 

We are incredibly proud of Team 27827Z. Making the semifinals of a state championship is an accomplishment that most teams can only dream of, and this group earned every step of that journey.

 

By the Numbers: March 2026

 

• 3 Chasewood teams competing across 3 robotics programs

• 2 VEX V5 Middle School teams, both State Champions, both World-qualified

• 1 VEX IQ Middle School squad, Clean Sweep State Champions, World-qualified

• 1 VEX V5 High School team, Semifinalists at the Illinois State Championship

• 4 World Championship berths secured in a single week

 

Why This Matters: Depth of Talent Is Rare

 

It is genuinely uncommon for a single enrichment organization to achieve competitive excellence across multiple age groups and robotics disciplines simultaneously. Most programs celebrate if one team makes it to a state championship. Chasewood Learning sent teams from three programs in the same week, and they all performed at the highest level.

 

This kind of depth doesn't come from a single exceptional student. It comes from a culture built on collaboration, creative problem-solving, perseverance, and a genuine love of learning through STEM. Every student at Chasewood, whether they're building their first LEGO robot or competing on a world stage, is part of that culture.

 

These championship results are the visible tip of something much larger: hundreds of hours of design iteration, strategy sessions, programming, and teamwork by students who chose to invest in themselves.

 

Next Stop: St. Louis

 

The VEX World Championships take place in St. Louis at the end of April 2026, and Chasewood Learning will be represented by multiple teams across VEX IQ and VEX V5 middle school divisions. The world stage awaits, and we could not be more excited to cheer them on.