[FORT WORTH, Texas] -- Students from Harmony School of Innovation-Fort Worth are celebrating a major achievement after earning 6th place at the Texas Special Olympics V5RC Championship in Bee Cave, officially ranking them 6th in the entire state in the VEX V5 Robotics Competition 2025-2026 season, Push Back.

Competing against top Unified teams from across Texas, Harmony’s Special Olympics Unified Robotics Team demonstrated teamwork, technical skill and perseverance throughout the state championship event. Their top-six finish marks a historic milestone for the campus and highlights the continued growth of inclusive STEM opportunities at Harmony.

“We are celebrating a huge milestone,” said Erin Bollinger, Middle and High School Special Education Teacher at Harmony School of Innovation-Fort Worth and coach of the team. “Our team earned 6th place at the State Unified Robotics Championship. That means we are officially the 6th best team in the entire state.”

The VEX V5 Robotics Competition challenges students to design, build and program robots to compete in a fast-paced engineering game. The Special Olympics Unified division brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities to collaborate as teammates, strengthening both technical skills and meaningful peer relationships.

For Bollinger, the impact of the program reaches far beyond the competition field.

“They all have a story, and they all stand out to me as great kids, athletes and students,” Bollinger said. “When the Special Olympics program was started, my students were self-contained, in the Life Skills room all day with little to no interaction with their peers. Now, they are out at least one class period per day, plus lunch, and interacting with their peers on a more regular basis, and feeling more like they are a part of the school. The high school students even earned their letterman jackets for their participation in Special Olympics.”

Students say the competition is about more than trophies, emphasizing the experience, teamwork and memories created along the way.

“We can come home with a trophy or without a trophy, and I will still have a great time,” said Ariana C., an 11th grade athlete.

Bollinger said the bonds formed through Unified Robotics are among the program’s greatest successes.

“I am very proud of both my athletes and my partners,” she said. “Special Olympics has brought students together in ways that they never would have been before and created bonds that will last long after the season is over.”

The team’s 6th place state finish reflects Harmony’s commitment to expanding inclusive, high-quality STEM opportunities that ensure every student has the chance to participate, compete and succeed.

To learn more about the VEX V5 Robotics Competition, visit https://www.robotevents.com/.

Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with more than 60 campuses serving PreK-Grade 12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, Bryan, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness. 

Harmony Public Schools is currently accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year for both students and team members.