2026-2027 RECF Drone Season Updates

Welcome coaches, event partners, and community members! Your RECF Programs Support team will post updates here for important information throughout the season. Bookmark this page for quick and easy reference of RECF drone community updates. 

If you have any questions, please reach out to your Regional Support Manager (RSM).

Visit this related page for 2026-2027 RECF Robotics Season Updates.

July 8, 2026

Have Questions? RSMs and forum.RECF.org have answers!

If you have questions about registration, events, or anything else, your RECF Regional Support Manager (RSM) is happy to help. RSMs and other RECF resources are listed in this article in the RECF Library. Right-click on a name to copy their email address and reach out directly. We also encourage you to make use of forum.recf.org to read or start discussions with the RECF community. Sometimes it’s helpful to get input from the hive mind!

Team Registration is Open

You can now register your RECF drone and robotics competition team(s) for the 2026-27 season at RECFevents.org. The primary contact from your team can log in and claim the same team number that your team used last season.

Need help getting started? This article in the RECF Library will walk you through how to register your team(s).

RECF Regional Support Request Form 

The RECF Regional Support Request form lets you request changes to teams or events in RECFEvents.org, report an event anomaly, apply to run a group of teams in a conference, or request a fee waiver. Support requests are automatically routed to the appropriate RECF staff member or committee.

Aerial Drones Competition Mission 2027 Game Reveal on August 11th!

Mark your calendars! The Aerial Drone Competition Mission 2027 game reveal is on August 11, 2026! Make sure to register your teams and preorder your game element kit so your teams can start programming and flying right away! 

• Order CoDrone EDU at Robolink
• Pre-order game elements
• Order field elements

ADC Pro Off Grid is Open for Registration!

Take STEM learning to the next level with ADC Pro, an exciting new program that integrates drones, robotics, 3D printing, and industrial applications. ADC Pro provides opportunities for advanced skill progression with real-world relevance and opportunities for experienced and older students to fulfill educational trends (project-based, systems learning), industry needs (air & ground coordination, problem solving) and competitive evolution (meaningful advancement beyond basics).

ADC Pro offers separate fall and spring seasons to provide additional flexibility. Teams that register for the ADC Pro 2026-2027 season are eligible to compete in one or both seasons.

• Order CoDrone EDU at Robolink
• Order the Minds-I Competition Drone
• Robot option (use this option or create your own robot using parts you already have)
• Order game elements

Team Season Registration Fee Waivers are Open

Team season registration fee waivers are now available for public or charter schools and not-for-profit returning organizations with more than six (6) teams registered and paid for during the 2025-26 season. The organization must also register and pay for at least six (6) teams for the 2026-2027 season. Once those requirements are completed, you can apply for the fee waiver using this 2026-2027 RECF Fee Waiver Application (select "Fee Waiver Application" under the question "What type of request is this?").

Host a Drone Competition - Apply Now!

Step up to host an ADC and/or ADC Pro Competition and make an impact in your community! RECFevents.org is now open for you to post your event. To get started, request event partner status in your RECFevents.org account and let your RSM know so they can approve your request. They will help as you post your qualifying event. These events make up 99% of our events and are the foundation of our program. We appreciate the event partners who make these opportunities possible for our students!

We are still looking for hosts for our Regional Championships and Signature Events. Let your RSM know if this is something you are interested in. We look forward to working with you to create some awesome opportunities for our students!

Grant Applications are Open 

Great news for RECF Achieve Robotics, ADC, and ADC Pro teams! Our grant system is now open and ready for you to apply!

To ensure we’re able to process your grant application and award grant funding, the person submitting the application must have the authority on behalf of your school district or organization to apply for a grant. The applicant must be 18 years of age or older and cannot be a student.

The following items also need to be completed: 

1. The primary coach is registered on RECFevents.org and has verified their email address.
2. The organization and team(s) are registered on RECFevents.org. Please review the article on Team Registration in RECFEvents for additional information on how to register.
3. Choose the payment method that your organization will use, register and check out the team(s), but DO NOT pay for the teams. Pro Tip: Select “check” as the payment method for any teams that will apply for a grant. It is then easy to go back and change it should your team not qualify for the grant. 
4. Create an account in our Blackbaud Grant System before accessing the application(s) linked below. Once you’re logged into your Blackbaud Dashboard, select the appropriate grant link(s) below.
   • RECF Achieve Robotics Competition 
   • Aerial Drones Competition (ADC)
   • ADC Pro

All grants are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, as long as the organization meets the sponsor's eligibility requirements. Once you receive confirmation that your application has been Recommended for Approval, please allow some time for the payment to be applied to your account. If you have any questions, please reach out to the RECF grants team at grants@recf.org.

IRHS Applications 

IRHS chapter applications will be open at recf.org/irhs from August 1 through January 30. Local chapters of the International Robotics Honor Society (IRHS) give qualified students opportunities to earn nationally recognized graduation honors for their participation in high school robotics competitions, including Aerial Drone Competitions.

While each chapter can develop its own local objectives, the primary goal of the IRHS is to elevate the profile of student participation in robotics at the school, district, and national levels and encourage more students to strive toward academic excellence in STEM fields. 

Robolink Survey and Giveaway

Visit this link to share feedback and ideas with Robolink, and earn a chance to win a free CoDrone EDU! 

Robotics Competitions - Join Us!

If your school has ever considered creating a robotics program, this may be the season to start. Join us for the inaugural season of RECF robotics competitions! 

The RECF has overseen robotics competitions for 16 years and is excited to present the RECF Engage (U12/U15), RECF Achieve (U15/U19), and RECF Inspire (collegiate) competitions as opportunities for student learning while continuing to grow our mission and vision. 

Learn more about all of our robotics programs at games.recf.org or visit the July 2026 Robotics Season Updates page in the RECF Library.