The International Robotics Honor Society (IRHS) was established in 2018 to recognize high school students for excellence, not only for their efforts on competitive robotics teams, but for academics, personal character, and community service.
Students with exceptional academic standing have the opportunity to apply for membership in a local chapter of the International Robotics Honor Society to earn accredited graduation honors for their participation in a host of high school robotics competitions.
Objectives
While each chapter can develop their 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 the STEM fields. This is achieved through character development, participation in service opportunities, and involvement in robotics programs.
Eligibility
Student participants must be active participants in their high schools' competitive robotics programs and are considered for selection during their final three years of high school or secondary schooling (typically grades 10, 11, and 12). Once selected for membership, a student must continue to maintain the same high standards of leadership, character, scholarship, and service, and must participate in chapter activities to maintain membership.
Academic Excellence
Each high school sets its own specific criteria for selection, within a set of broad guidelines. The national minimum standard for scholarship is a cumulative scholastic average of at least 85 percent, B+, or 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or the equivalent standard of excellence.
Character Development
Students must demonstrate evidence of significant leadership accomplishments, service to school and community, and good character. Students must truly be leaders, which means they have contributed both time and ideas to improve their school's climate and activities. Each chapter also elects a board of student officers who guide the members and direct the implementation of the chapter’s community service learning projects.
Community Service
Students should have a regular, ongoing volunteer commitment in addition to participating in one-day events. The IRHS service component has been expanded into more of a service-learning platform. The purpose is to allow the students to better structure their service to align with what they are learning in robotics and to be able to reflect upon the impact of their outcome.
Robotics Programs
The IRHS is open to many competitive programs, including, but are not limited to:
- VEX Robotics Competition
- REC Foundation Aerial Drone Competition
- FIRST Robotics Competition
- FIRST Tech Challenge
- Bell Advanced Vertical Robotics
- CREATE
- Botball
- BEST Robotics
- MATE ROV Competition
- SeaPerch
- National Robotics League
- National Robotics Challenge
- World Robotics League
- Zero Robotics
IRHS Resources
The Robotics Education and Competition Foundation provides IRHS accreditation and hosts the REC Library, a collection of resources and knowledge-based articles to assist students and advisors in the establishment and operation of local IRHS chapters.
Please visit the International Robotics Honor Society section of the REC Library for additional resources and information.
For additional information, please contact IRHS@recf.org.