Northern Indiana has long been known for its industrial strength, but a new wave of innovation has been sweeping across the area in recent years: robotics. From classrooms to manufacturing floors, robotics is reshaping the landscape offering new opportunities for education, industry, and community growth.
Many local high schools, such as Crown Point High School, Lake Central High School, Chesterton High School, Valparaiso High School, John Adams High School, Penn High School, La Porte High School, and Portage High School host FIRST Robotics Competitions (FRC) and VEX Robotics teams.
These teams engage students in designing, building, and programming robots to compete nationally and internationally. Middle and elementary schools participate in programs like FIRST LEGO League (FLL) and VEX IQ Robotics, preparing even younger students for future success.
Valparaiso High School stands out with its Valpo Voltage robotics teams, showcasing excellence at the 2025 Indiana VEX Robotics State Championship. Teams 2790A (Ace of Spades), 2790B (Bad Robot LLC.), and 2790C (The Circuit Breakers) competed against some of the toughest robots in one of the most competitive states. Team 2790B finished qualifications with an impressive 5-1-2 record, earning a Top 10 seed for alliance selection. Team 2790B finished fourth overall in Skills, earning an invitation to compete at the prestigious 2025 VEX World Championship in Dallas, Texas.
Crown Point High School’s Robodogs also made significant strides during the 2024–2025 VEX Robotics season. Their list of accomplishments is remarkable: nine Regional Tournament Champion Awards, three Regional Robot Skills Champion Awards, two Regional Excellence Awards, four Regional Design Awards, one Regional Think Award, two Regional Judges Awards, one Signature Sportsmanship Award, and one Signature Energy Award. Throughout the season, the Robodogs participated in nine Regional Tournaments, six Signature Events, and one State Championship Event, accounting for 22 days of intense robot competition.
La Porte High School’s Team 9071, known as SlicerTech, demonstrated resilience and growth throughout the 2025 season. Team 9071 achieved a 12-17-0 record in official play. As a FIRST Indiana Robotics district member, the team ranked #43 and earned 42 points. At the FIN District Mishawaka Event, the group ranked 28th with an 8-9-0 record and were honored with the Judges' Award, recognizing the team’s efforts and achievements on and off the competition field.
Portage High School’s robotics program had an outstanding showing on the National stage. Team Chaos and its alliance emerged as National Divisional Champions, earning the team a spot in the overall National Championship. After an intense and highly competitive Finals first playoff match—marked by a controversial ending with the referees conferring for 10 minutes—Chaos fell just short, losing by only two points due to a "no call." Despite the narrow loss, the team placed third at the National tournament, an incredible accomplishment. The team’s spirit, skill, and perseverance left a lasting impression.
Beyond traditional industries, Northern Indiana high schools are nurturing a growing culture of innovation. Makerspaces across the Region, from Valparaiso to South Bend, provide facilities where inventors and hobbyists can design, prototype, and test their robotic creations.
The John Adams High School Robotics team has also been making remarkable strides. Over the past few months, students have been working hard and coding what they hope will be a fully functional robot for competition. Although it may seem straightforward—building a base and coding its operations—it is far more complex. The team is divided into five sections: collaborative sections, design, coding, electronics, and build. The marketing group, for example, works to raise funds, create promotional materials, and recruit new members, recognizing that robot parts can be quite costly. Team 9530 posted an 8-16-0 record in official play in 2025. As a FIRST Indiana Robotics district member, the team ranked #66 and earned 20 points, highlighting its dedication and teamwork.
Penn High School continues to make its mark with two teams: Team 135, the Black Knights, and Team 328, the Golden Rooks. At the FIN District Mishawaka Event from February 28 to March 2, 2025, Team 135 performed exceptionally well, finishing 3rd out of 36 teams. They recorded an impressive 11-1-0 record in qualification matches with no disqualifications, adding valuable points toward their district rankings for 2025.
As Northern Indiana high schools continue to evolve, robotics symbolizes the region’s resilience and forward-thinking spirit. With strong support from educational institutions, industries, startups, and the broader community, Northwest Indiana is well-positioned to become a leader in the robotics revolution. The future is being built today, and in Northwest Indiana, it is being built by robots.