By: Prachi Jaitly

BoostPlus Academy’s Boost+ Robotics Team 32356B has earned statewide recognition after capturing the prestigious Excellence Award at the Illinois State VEX IQ Championship in March 2026. The top honor secured the team’s place at the international VEX IQ World Championship, recently held in St. Louis, Missouri, from  April 28–29, 2026.

The Excellence Award is considered the highest distinction in VEX IQ Robotics, recognizing outstanding performance in robot design, programming, teamwork, engineering notebooks, and overall competition results.

What makes the accomplishment especially impressive is that all five students on Team 32356B are first-time competitors who began their robotics journey only in October 2025. In just a few months, the young innovators developed the skills and confidence needed to rise among Illinois’ top elementary robotics teams.

The team was mentored by Coach Ms. Mongelli, along with Ms. Mili Srivastava and Ms. Kanika Talwar, whose guidance played a key role in building the students’ technical abilities, teamwork, leadership, and enthusiasm for STEM learning.

“This achievement reflects the power of structured learning, mentorship, and the incredible potential of young minds,” said the Boost+ Robotics leadership team. “To see first-time competitors reach the world stage and represent Illinois is truly inspiring.”

The VEX IQ World Championship brings together leading student robotics teams from around the globe, offering a platform to celebrate innovation, collaboration, and engineering excellence. Team 32356B will now compete with some of the brightest young minds in the world while proudly representing Illinois.

About BoostPlus Academy / Boost+ Robotics

Based in Naperville, BoostPlus Academy, founded by Ms. Mili Srivastava, is dedicated to empowering students through hands-on programs in robotics, STEM education, entrepreneurship, and leadership development.

The Boost+ Robotics program offers:

• Year-round structured robotics programs and summer camps
• Competitive pathways from local to state and world championships
• Practical experience in engineering, coding, and problem-solving
• Specialized VEX IQ robotics programs for students in Grades 3–8

BoostPlus Academy continues to shape the next generation of innovators by combining technical education with creativity, teamwork, and real-world problem-solving.