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robotics

The Steam Foundation Teams Up with MakerBot to Expand Access to 3D Printing for Students

January 14, 2022 — The Steam Foundation and MakerBot have teamed up to bring 3D printing to more students across the U.S. Founded by Aadhav Prabu and Akshar Raikanti, The Steam Foundation is a California-based nonprofit with a mission to make STEAM education equally accessible to all students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The organization, which is also run by a team of students, offers free workshops that teach 3D printing, robotics, graphic design, and coding to students as well as programs to help bring 3D printing into schools.

Prabu and Raikanti are currently juniors at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon, Calif., and have been teaching 3D printing for years. They were inspired to start the organization after seeing how engaged students were in their 3D printing club in middle school.

“When Akshar and I ran the 3D printing club, we saw how excited students were for the chance to use the Replicator+. For some of them, it was the first time they had ever seen a 3D printer. We started The Steam Foundation to give more students the chance to learn about 3D printing,” said Prabu. “We’re fortunate to work with MakerBot, a company which has the same commitment toward 3D printing in education as we do.” MakerBot donated 3D printing equipment and materials to support the Foundation’s mission and programs.…Read More

4 ways to support the growing role robotics will have in society

In the past decade, robotics have evolved from a sci-fi fantasy set in some distant future to an industry capable of producing present-tense toys, companions, workers and self-driving cars. And this is just the beginning. The industry forecast calls for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 26 percent, which would mean a value of $210 billion by 2025.

The inventors (and users) of tomorrow are children sitting in preK-12 classrooms right now, who by and large are not learning about robotics. This represents a huge opportunity for education technology companies. Robots promise to become a bigger part of our daily lives as the industry shifts from being primarily industrial-driven to increasingly consumer-oriented. As they expand beyond the warehouse to wherever we need them, robots will become more diverse, intuitive and useful.

The speed of change has been impressive in recent years and will only accelerate as machine learning and neural networks endow robots with human-like senses, allowing them to “see” and even “taste” like we do.  The skills children learn through robotics could certainly lead to career opportunities later, but that’s not the only reason to embrace the ABCs of androids. In addition to a range of science and math skills, students can practice problem-solving and creativity as well. We’ve arrived at a tipping point in robotics, and for education, that represents lifelong learning opportunities.…Read More

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CoderZ Launches Initiative to Engage Students in STEM with the Amazon Cyber Robotics Challenge

DERRY, N.H. – Aug. 18, 2021 – Starting August 1, CoderZ will once again bring a real-world industry perspective to computer science classrooms through the Amazon Cyber Robotics Challenge. In this free, three-hour virtual learning experience, students develop basic computer science skills while discovering the ways that goods are delivered at Amazon. This year’s #StepintoSTEM challenge provides teachers access to resources that make instruction simple for them, regardless of their computer science background.

The Amazon Cyber Robotics Challenge transports students to a virtual Amazon warehouse where they practice coding, computational thinking, and computer science. Students collaborate with their friends through hands-on, gamified, and mission-based activities, which involve coding an Amazon Hercules robot. In addition, they meet students interning at Amazon as well as real engineers who are using STEM and computer science skills every day. Participants who share the activity on social media will be sent a teacher goodie bag.

“Last year, 120,000 students received access to the program. The feedback from teachers was exemplary, so we want to see that number grow during these essential back-to-school months,” said CEO of CoderZ, Ido Yerushalmi. “Our mission this year is to introduce 200,000 more students to the interdisciplinary skills that STEM develops, including future-ready skills, SEL, and more. As always, we recommend the challenge for grades four and above.”…Read More

5 reasons to set up a coding program in your district

At Everett Public Schools, we’ve always had a robotics team at the elementary and secondary levels. Last year we were up to 50 robotics teams within the FIRST organization. During the shutdown, we went into a panic over how students wouldn’t be able to physically “touch” and work on the robots on campus anymore.

I didn’t want to lose our robotics stipend, nor did we want students to miss out on that learning during the shutdown. For help, we started searching for an online platform that would augment our in-person robotics curriculum.

We found what we were looking for in CoderZ and soon after, we shifted our entire robotics curriculum over to that platform. We weren’t sure how many students would want to log in from home voluntarily, but our participation levels have actually grown since the pandemic shut down in-person learning in March 2020.…Read More

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Robotify Partners with Steve Wozniak’s Woz ED to Virtualize the STEM Learning Experience

Global virtual robotics education company Robotify has partnered with Steve Wozniak’s Woz ED to provide over 3,500 schools, coding clubs and school districts across the globe with cost-effective access to the world’s most premium robotics technology.

In a cutting-edge deal, Irish-based Robotify is providing their proprietary software to Woz ED which allows the company to virtualize its physical STEM pathways, providing students with a virtual robotics experience in addition to existing physical experiences. The deal will see both companies collaborate to reach tens of thousands of students around the world to give them equitable access to coding and robotics educational content.

“I’m impressed with the way Robotify makes coding engaging and accessible. By virtualizing the technology, more young people will have the opportunity to learn and explore,” said Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-Founder & Founder of Woz ED. “Both Woz ED and Robotify focus on ensuring young learners are job-ready for the most in-demand tech sector openings. We provide learners with the opportunity to engage in authentic projects to help them understand what work they love and excel at.”…Read More

Mesa Public Schools and S.A.V.E. Consortium Name CoderZ as Approved Vendor

DERRY, N.H. – May 11, 2021 – CoderZ, creators of innovative educational solutions using virtual robotics to bring core subject areas like math and science to life through real-world applications, today announced that it has been selected as an approved STEM curriculum resource for enrichment by Mesa Public Schools and the Strategic Alliance for Volume Expenditures (S.A.V.E.) consortium.

“We are extremely honored to be selected as a preferred provider,” said CoderZ CEO, Ido Yerushalmi. “With this vetting initiative complete, Mesa Public Schools along with S.A.V.E. members, can implement our well-structured and inclusive curriculum with the knowledge that the program meets and exceeds the requirements to become an integral component of a school’s STEM implementation.”

The requests for proposals covered the following areas:…Read More

World’s Largest Robotics Competition Returns: Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation to Host Live Remote VEX Robotics World Championship

The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit and VEX Robotics, is back to showcase the incredible talent and skill of a range of student competitors by hosting the first-ever Live Remote VEX Robotics World Championship May 17-29, 2021. Leveraging the REC Foundation’s Live Remote Tournament interface, teams from around the world will be able to compete in real-time tournaments or live skills matches to be crowned champions. 

World’s Largest Robotics Competition Returns: REC Foundation to Host Live Remote VEX Robotics World Championship 2021

During the live remote event, students in grades three through college will compete in timed, heart-pounding robotics competition matches with their custom-built robots. Like at past world championships, competitors will have the opportunity to see familiar faces, activities, and share the excitement of the event.…Read More

Vernier Software & Technology Recognizes Kansas Science Educator Tyson Vrbas with the 2021 Engineering Award

Vernier Software & Technology recently announced science educator Tyson Vrbas of Manhattan Catholic Schools in Manhattan, Kansas as the 2021 Engineering Award winner. Vrbas, who worked with his middle school students to create an automatic watering system for the school garden, was recognized for his creative use of Vernier sensors to introduce engineering and robotics concepts or practices to his students.

In the project, Vrbas’ students utilized a Vernier Soil Moisture Sensor and LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 kit to design a robot with the ability to monitor soil moisture and add water from a rain barrel when needed. Students programmed the robot so that a valve would automatically open—and then water the planter bed in the school garden—once the soil moisture minimum threshold was reached.

“I just presented the problem to my students and they took off with it,” said Vrbas. “Every student played a part, whether it was focusing on programming or engineering the valve motor or working on the barrel. They really collaborated and problem solved as a group and, in the end, developed a really awesome solution.”…Read More

CoderZ Announces CoderZ League World Champions

CoderZ today announced the winners of the all-new CoderZ League: the Virtual Cyber Robotics Competition (formerly the Cyber Robotics Coding Competition or CRCC). Students in grades four through 12 throughout the United States and the world joined in the cloud-based robotics tournament. Three teams from each of the tournament’s two levels – Junior and Pro – became CoderZ League World Champions.

Beginning coders, schools new to the competition, and students in grades five through eight competed at the CoderZ League Junior level using Blockly. The three CoderZ League World Champion teams were the following:

  • The Legend Z team from Union High School (Pennsylvania)
  • The Avenues FLL MG team 1 from Avenues the World School (New York City)
  • The Method K20 all-girls team from Methodist Girls High School located (Ghana)

The CoderZ League Pro level was for students in grades seven through 12 who could use Blockly or Python. The three CoderZ League World Champion teams were the following:…Read More

Wizrobotics launches Wizprodigy, a new online competition experience for STEM students

Wizrobotics, an online live learning platform for teaching and inspiring K-12 students to explore STEM fields, announced the launch of Wizprodigy.  Wizprodigy is a new and exciting online STEM competition focused on inspiring middle school and high school students across North America to learn coding and to build their own design of a mini Tesla Cybertruck. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the learning environment of students, Wizprodigy is looking to bring together creative young minds by offering a unique way for students to learn about STEM and gain hands-on experience in robotics while providing them with an opportunity to compete for scholarship prizes.

With approximately 1.3 billion students world wide staying at home, it has been a real struggle for many parents to keep students engaged. Learning at home is not the same as learning in person with amazing teacher interactions and friends to keep students motivated and upbeat.

“The goal of Wizprodigy is to create a sense of community for students across North America, inspire students to stay motivated during tough times and most of all, have fun with STEM,” described Jack Zhou, Founder of Wizrobotics on this initiative. “By being a part of the Wizprodigy competition, students have the opportunity to feel connected and interact with other students sharing  their common interest in STEM.”…Read More