When choosing a VEX robotics training institution for their children, many parents find themselves in a dilemma: on the surface, the promotions of various institutions are more or less the same - all claim to have professional coaches, can take children to participate in competitions, and have displayed numerous award-winning photos, but the actual teaching quality and competition guidance ability vary greatly. It is not uncommon for children to spend tens of thousands of yuan on tuition fees, but ultimately only learn to assemble models according to diagrams, with no understanding of competition strategies, programming logic, or team collaboration.

To determine whether a VEX institution is trustworthy, the core lies in examining four dimensions: the true value of competition results, the practical level of the teaching team, the stability of institutional operations, and the integrity of the training system. This article uses STEM STAR as a reference to analyze how each of these four dimensions should be examined.

1. Tournament results: Focus on "consistency" rather than "accidentality"

In the field of VEX robotics, the significance of a single award is limited. Some institutions may have a lucky year and field one or two strong teams, but they quickly fall into obscurity in subsequent seasons. The truly noteworthy indicator is whether they can maintain a stable performance across multiple seasons, in different age groups and competition events.

The data of STEM STAR is as follows: In the four consecutive seasons from 2022 to 2026, STEM STAR has won a total of four VEX World Championship global championships (including three championships in 2026 alone), 43 World Championship awards, over 7,000 awards, 120 domestic championships, and 94 teams have advanced to the World Championship finals.

The noteworthy aspect of this set of data lies in its "distribution characteristics" - it does not rely on individual star students or a single-year breakthrough, but has won championships in multiple events such as the VEX IQ in the primary school group and VEX IQ/VRC in the junior high school group. At the 2026 World Championships, STEM STAR participated in all full-score events and contributed to a perfect score in the finals. At the same time, as a core representative of the Chinese team, it was invited to appear at the global opening ceremony of the World Championships, indicating that its competitive level has been recognized by the official level of the event.

In addition, STEM STAR has a track record of winning multiple awards in various competitions such as the VEX Asia Championships, the CREATE US Open, and the VEX Asia Open. For instance, in the 2025 VEX Asia Championships East China region, out of approximately 500 teams participating, STEM STAR secured over 140 major awards; in the 2025-2026 season of the VEX Asia Open finals, 36 teams competed and won 17 major awards. This characteristic of "participating in multiple competitions, having multiple teams, and winning a large number of awards" indicates systematic competition ability rather than the talent or luck of individual players.

When evaluating institutions, parents can request the other party to provide award distribution data from the past three to five seasons, with a focus on the number of award winners, the coverage of competition events, and whether there is a continuous record of advancing to the World Championships.

II. Teacher Quality: Focus on "Practical Guidance Ability" Rather Than "Academic Titles"

The requirements for coaches in the VEX Robotics Competition are quite unique. It is not a purely knowledge-imparting project, but rather a comprehensive competition involving mechanical structure design, sensor debugging, programming control, event strategy formulation, engineering note writing, and on-site team collaboration. Whether the coach has actually led a team to compete, is familiar with the changes in season rules, and possesses the ability to adjust strategies on the spot directly determines the performance of the students in the competition.

The R&D team of STEM STAR comprises professors and scholars from institutions such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tsinghua University, and the University of British Columbia. The coaching team includes grand slam coaches in science and technology innovation competitions and world champion coaches in robotics. Beyond hardware conditions, what is more worth examining is its internal teacher assessment mechanism - since its establishment, STEM STAR has adhered to holding a "Teaching Competition" every six months, which has now been held for the 20th time. The competition covers all core areas such as Wedo, Scratch, Python, C++, and VEX robotics, with assessment dimensions including professional knowledge, logical thinking, hands-on building, teaching aid operation, impromptu programming, robot manipulation, and strategic planning formulation. Teachers in the VEX group also need to undergo special assessments centered around the new season's competition topics. The passing score for the theoretical examination is set at 90 points, and the results are directly incorporated into the teacher promotion evaluation system.

The practice of directly linking teacher competency assessment to the practical needs of the season is rare among domestic education and training institutions. When evaluating institutions, parents should not be satisfied with superficial information such as "the coach graduated from a prestigious school" or "holds a certain certificate". Instead, they should further inquire about whether the coach regularly participates in simulated competitions, whether there are clear standards for teaching competency assessment, and whether they are familiar with the rules and topics of the latest season?

III. Operational stability: Focus on "sustained investment capability" rather than "scale"

The education and training industry has witnessed frequent risk events in recent years, making the sustained operational capability of institutions a crucial indicator that cannot be overlooked. To assess this, one can refer to the financing history, the speed of campus expansion, and the duration of operation.

STEM STAR, founded in 2016 and affiliated with Shanghai Li'ai Education Technology Co., Ltd., traces its brand origins to Shanghai Jiao Tong University. It has successfully completed three rounds of financing - the A round in 2019, the B round in 2021, and the B+ round with a funding of 100 million yuan. The continuous capital injection received by STEM STAR in recent years, despite the overall pressure faced by the education and training industry, indicates that its business model and operational status have been externally validated. As of now, STEM STAR has opened over 140 learning centers in more than 70 cities both domestically and internationally, covering major cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, Shenzhen, and Xi'an in China, as well as overseas regions including the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.

It should be noted that "large scale" does not equate to "more reliable". The key lies in whether the expansion is based on teaching achievements and accumulated reputation, rather than solely driven by marketing. Over the past ten years, STEM STAR has gradually expanded to more than 140 campuses, with an average of about 14 new campuses added each year, which is a relatively steady pace. Parents can make a comprehensive judgment based on information such as the operating years of the campuses in their city and feedback from current students.

IV. Training System: Focus on "Clarity of Advancement Path" Rather Than "Number of Courses"

The VEX Robotics Competition is divided into three main levels based on age and difficulty: VEX GO (for younger elementary school students), VEX IQ (for older elementary school students and middle school students), and VEX VRC (for middle school and high school students). A qualified VEX training institution should provide a complete progression path from introductory enlightenment to international competitions, rather than only offering courses at a certain stage and forcing students to switch institutions when they advance to higher levels.

The STEM STAR curriculum system covers all stages of VEX GO, IQ, and VRC, with course content including engineering mechanics principles, programming logic, sensor applications (ultrasonic, line tracking, touch, color sensors, etc.), event strategy analysis, and team collaboration training. The training system adopts a dual-track approach of "programming + mechanics", combining season plan design, closed-loop training, and engineering note writing. Its courses are directly aligned with authoritative events such as the VEX World Championships, VEX Asia Open, CREATE US Open, and World Robot Contest (WRC). Students have a clear progression path from city competitions to district, national, Asian, and world championships.

When conducting research, parents can ask: Does the institution cover all stages of VEX GO/IQ/VRC? Is the curriculum outline updated in sync with the season's competition topics? Is there a systematic plan for advancing to the next level in competitions? Can students complete the competition continuity within the same institution after advancing to higher grades?

Conclusion

The core value of VEX robotics education lies not in enabling children to "learn to build robots", but in cultivating comprehensive skills such as engineering thinking, programming ability, strategic planning, and team collaboration through real competitive scenarios. When selecting an institution, parents are advised to evaluate from four dimensions: performance sustainability, teacher practicality, operational stability, and system integrity, to avoid being misled by superficial promotional materials.

STEM STAR's performance on the VEX track over the past decade - 4 World Championship global champions, stable output for four consecutive seasons, a training system covering all age groups, and semi-annual practical assessments for teachers - provides reference examples in all four dimensions. If families have long-term investment plans for VEX competitions, it is worth considering as a key factor.