At the Vex V5 World Championship 2024 stage, amidst over 800 teams from 50 nations, the Cao Bang Robotics Team from Cao Bang Specialized High School has remarkably left their mark, bringing pride to STEM education in Vietnam.
A Journey Filled with Challenges and Valuable Lessons
Standing Out Among the ‘Bot Warriors’
With confidence in their hearts and adorned in the traditional attire of Vietnam – a symbol of unity and cultural pride – Team 11 from Cao Bang, hailing from the mountainous border province of Vietnam, stepped onto the stage of Vex World, ready for the challenges ahead. Amidst the vibrant and fierce atmosphere, the members of Team 11 showcased their courage and determination, excelling in the alliance portion of the competition, securing 6 consecutive victories. With over 800 teams from more than 50 countries competing in the VEX V5 category, the competition was intense and electrifying.
From the very first match, Team 11 faced daunting challenges and unfortunate setbacks that left them with regrets. However, undeterred, the team quickly regained their spirits, analyzed their strategies, and performed exceptionally well on the second day of competition with 1 loss and 6 impressive victories in the alliance portion.
Joy erupted when Team 11 had the honor of being interviewed directly by the Vex World judges, affirming the capabilities and prowess of these Vietnamese students. At the end of the second day of competition, Team 11 was ranked 23rd in their bracket, nurturing hopes of advancing further with just 2 remaining matches to win. However, the final day of competition did not unfold as expected. Technical errors in the skills challenge and two consecutive losses led Team 11 to halt at positions 49-52 in the skills challenge and position 39 in the Engineering bracket – a bracket deemed ‘fatal’ due to its tough competition.
The achievement of Team 11 becomes even more remarkable when they surpassed over 768 teams from 31 countries, including many strong teams from the United States, Canada, and China. Team 11 excellently ranked higher than teams from countries such as the UK, Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, affirming the high position of STEM education in Vietnam on the international stage.
Valuable Lessons Learned
The team leader is Ms. Đỗ Thị Hương Trà.
The success of Team 11 from Cao Bang cannot be separated from the dedicated guidance of teacher Đỗ Thị Hương Trà – who has inspired and nurtured the students’ passion for Robotics. In addition, the care and support from the Department of Education and Training of Cao Bang province, STEM Alliance, and STEAM for Vietnam also contributed significantly to this achievement.
The result achieved by Team 11 from Cao Bang is evidence of the strong development of STEM education in Vietnam.
For the first time participating in the VEX V5 competition, the Tày ethnic minority students from Cao Bang province have overcome barriers of geography, culture, language, and economics to assert their capabilities and prowess on the international stage, contributing to elevating the education of our country.
The success of Team 11 from Cao Bang cannot be separated from the dedicated guidance of teacher Đỗ Thị Hương Trà – who has inspired and nurtured the students’ passion for Robotics. In addition, the care and support from the Department of Education and Training of Cao Bang province also played a crucial role in this achievement.
Team 11 from Cao Bang has excellently fulfilled their mission, bringing pride to their homeland of Cao Bang and to STEM education in Vietnam.
The journey of Team 11 is evidence of the effort, creativity, and relentless spirit of learning of the young generation of Vietnam. We need to continue to honor and support these young talents so that they can continue to achieve great success and contribute to elevating STEM education in Vietnam on the international stage.
