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.
Frequently Used Links
- Regional Support Request Form
- Registering Teams and Events in RECFEvents
- Grant Opportunities
- The Go-To Toolkit for ADC
August 5, 2026
Register for an Account and Claim Your Organization Number on RECFevents.org
If you have not already done so, be sure to register for a new account in RECFevents.org to claim your organization number. If you need help with this, call your RECF RSM and they can walk you through the process. This article can also help. Remember that you’re not claiming your team number with your letter attached to it. You are just claiming the organization number; you’ll choose a program and team numbers later.
Mission 2027 Launches August 11th, 2026 - Join the Watch Party!
The countdown to Mission 2027 is on, and Robolink and the RECF are inviting Aerial Drone Competition teams and prospective teams to celebrate the start of a brand-new Aerial Drone Competition season together!
On Tuesday, August 11, join us at 3:30 PM CT for a live community watch party leading up to the 4:00 PM CT Mission 2027 game release. Whether your team is gathering in the classroom, at school, or somewhere with plenty of pizza, we'd love for you to be part of the celebration. Tune in for a special pre-show featuring team interviews, competition highlights, special guests, and more before the Mission 2027 game reveal goes live at 4:00 PM CT.
Ready to join the celebration? Register your team for the event for a chance to win a $100 watch party gift card. The livestream link will also be shared with everyone who registers for the gift card contest, as well as on our social media channels.
Student Advisory Board Application Open Now!
High school students participating in RECF Achieve robotics, Aerial Drone Competition, or Aerial Drone Competition Pro are eligible to apply for the Student Advisory Board (SAB).
The SAB provides input to RECF programs that help prepare the next generation of innovators, engineers, and leaders. Student members serve as liaisons between the RECF and their peers in our programs. The SAB is a focus group that shares ideas, suggestions, and concerns from a student’s perspective at the program level.
Applications will close September 1st. Please share the SAB application with your students today.
Coach Training Webinar: August 20, 2026
Join us on August 20th, 2026, 6PM - 7:30PM, for our first RECF coach training webinar of the season, the 2026/27 RECF Competition Season Kickoff. We will discuss all of the RECF competitions and walk you through registering your teams for the season. We will also talk through how to register for an event on RECFevents.org, and show you other great resources we have available for this season. We’ll wrap up with a Q&A session.
The full schedule of this season’s webinars will soon be available in the RECF Library.
ADC Pro is Growing!
Get in on the action! Our new ADC Pro program is growing by leaps and bounds. We currently have about 100 teams registered. Events are already posted in Florida, Mississippi, Indiana, and South Carolina, and more are coming. Get ready to challenge your students with this opportunity to pilot the Minds-i and Robolink drones, and build a robot out of any material. We are also including the opportunity to use 3D printed parts on your drone to better meet the challenges in Mission 2027: Off Grid.
FAA Part 107 Training
We are thrilled to partner with the Unmanned Safety Institute (USI) to offer FAA Part 107 training, UAS curriculum, and stackable certifications to equip students and educators with essential credentials for the drone workforce. Click here for more details on how you can elevate your drone career readiness!
Signature Events
This season, drone teams will have the opportunity to compete in Signature Events across the US. These events are open for all teams and not bound by regions. Test your skills against other teams from around the country before your regional championship or the RECF World Championship. Dates and locations will be announced soon.
Planning to host? List your event today!
If you are planning to host an ADC or ADC Pro event this season, please reach out to your RSM to talk about the process. Our system is now ready for posting events and we look forward to seeing the number of events grow.
Applications Open: International Robotics Honor Society (IRHS)
International Robotics Honor Society applications opened on August 1st at recf.org/irhs. Recognize your students’ participation in competitive robotics and drones, commitment to academic achievement, and service to their community by starting an IRHS chapter at your school. Students who join IRHS are eligible to receive accredited graduation honors through their local chapter. Visit the IRHS Library and reach out to irhs@recf.org for more information.
New Competition Control Software
Our software crew has spent the past few months developing Competition Control (C²), the comprehensive event management software for all RECF robotics and drone competitions. C² was designed by programmers with years of experience running competitions, and they used their experience to simplify the process of running events. C² is currently restricted to beta testers, but will soon be ready for public download. The software only needs to be downloaded on one device, and works on a wide range of devices including tablets, laptops, and TVs. We are sure that you will like the ease of use of this new software.
Join RECF Events on Facebook
There is a new unofficial Facebook group called RECF Events. Although forum.recf.org is the best place to ask questions and get the official RECF answers, this will be a great place to connect and discuss events our community would like to see supported by RECF. Consider using it to promote your event and recruit volunteers!
Join us in St. Louis for the RECF World Championship
The 2027 RECF World Championship will include drones! We are excited to introduce the city of St. Louis to our drones programs, and our students to the thrill of attending this spectacular event. Stand by for details, but save the dates: April 27 - May 6th, 2026.
RECF Summit for Drone Programs
If you didn’t have a chance to join us for the RECF Drone Summit in St. Louis in July, you can now find some of the slide deck presentations linked in the RECF Library. More will be added in the coming weeks. If you have any questions, please reach out to your RSM to learn more.
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!
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:
- The primary coach is registered on RECFevents.org and has verified their email address.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.