The REC Foundation's Aerial Drone Competition (ADC) Signature Event: March Madness — Hoosier Edition took over Terre Haute, Indiana from March 19–21. Robolink was there in full force, and most importantly students and coaches showed up and showed us the real faces of STEM and CTE in 2026. Here's how the week went down.

Before Indiana: Chicago called.

The week actually didn't start in Terre Haute. It started in Chicago, where part of the Robolink team spent St. Patrick's Day doing what any self-respecting drone company does during a city-wide celebration: user testing.

We can't tell you what we were testing. (But we will this summer, so stay tuned.) What we can tell you is that our Senior Hardware Engineer, Arnold, was soldering during a meeting. 

Drone Pit Stop. Competition Pits. Photo Booth.

At the event, we ran our Drone Pit Stop — where teams could troubleshoot their CoDrone EDUs, swap parts, and get back in the air. We visited their competition pits, too, where teams prep before they fly.

This event brought together teams from across the US – from the Autonomous Ops Squadron from Batesville, Mississippi to Burgers & Fries (your author's personal favorite team name) from Dayton, Ohio. 

We also brought something new with us this year: a Photo Booth built to make these ADC competitors feel like the STEM superstars they are. 

The ADC is one of the fastest-growing STEM competition programs out there. Since its inaugural season in 2020, participation has grown more than 1,000% — from 191 teams to over 2,200 in 2025.

Part of what drives that growth is that the ADC engages students earlier, compared to robotics competitions and other programs that require a lot of building (and big budgets) up front before the teamwork and strategy really start. The barrier to entry is low. The ceiling is not.

The result is something new to STEM and CTE: the kind of excitement, energy, and sense of belonging that athletics programs and esports are known for. 

This is what STEM looks like.

Our Media Producer, Kel, joined us in Terre Haute to capture the competition in action. Check out some of his snaps below, to see what STEM really looks like when the REC Foundation, Robolink, and talented ADC teams join forces. 

The season is just heating up.

Regional Championships are next. Here's where the Robolink team, and in many cases that new Photo Booth, are headed:

→  South Central HS Regional Championship   Frisco, TX   |   Apr 7–8

→  West HS/MS Regional Championship   San Diego, CA   |   Apr 19–21

→  South Central MS Regional Championship   El Paso, TX   |   May 8–9

→  JROTC All Service National Championship   Columbus, GA   |   May 21–23

If your team is competing, come find us. If you're not competing yet, see you next season? The REC Foundation makes limited grants available for first-time teams. Reach out to your Regional Support Manager to get started.