News
Latest from the network.
Updates from across the ITKAN network: events, recognition, student stories, and announcements.
ITKAN Robotics Open House — recruitment now open
Join the award-winning ITKAN Robotics teams as we open recruitment for next season: FTC for grades 6–8 and FRC for grades 9–12. Open House May 30th, 2:00–4:00 PM at the ITKAN Innovation Hub in Plano, TX.
ITKAN opens 24,000 sqft Innovation Hub in Plano
Our flagship facility is now home to 3 FTC fields and a full FRC field, open to the North Texas FIRST community. From a 500 sqft room in 2022 to 6,000 sqft in 2023, the new Hub is the third home of the network in four years.
FRC 9128 and Itkan Girls 10340 sweep Farmersville
A historic triumph at the Farmersville District Event. Both teams secured District Championships, and 9128 claimed the prestigious Impact Award, FIRST's highest non-competitive honor.
ITKAN launches FTC team at KAUST in Saudi Arabia
A partnership born on Al Jazeera. AI researcher Dr. Mohammed ElHoseiny found ITKAN through a 2023 Al Jazeera Nightly News feature, visited the lab, and partnered with us to launch only the third FTC team in Saudi Arabia, based at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
Building Azah's car: an off-season GoBabyGo partnership
Our team spent the off-season designing and modifying a ride-on car for Azah, an 8-year-old in Houston with down syndrome. The custom build was delivered in person, and the GoBabyGo collaboration is now a yearly tradition.
GEM Summit Doha: connecting with 1,000+ innovators from 120 countries
ITKAN took the international stage at GEM Summit in Doha, Qatar: running workshops at our booth, presenting on the main stage, and forming a partnership with the Qatar Foundation to expand STEM/FIRST across the Middle East, India, and Bangladesh.
How one conversation at ICNA 2023 became 10 NC teams
At the ICNA 2023 convention in Baltimore, ITKAN met community leader Ibad Ar-Rahman. That single conversation became the catalyst for our largest non-Texas footprint: 10 teams across North Carolina, with 100% advancement to the State Championship.