This project is to start a program on our campus to match the one initiated on Drew and start a district wide focus on computer science at the elementary levels. This will be the beginning of a strategic focus to offer early start to our students with hands-on basic engineering, logical problem-solving and foundational coding. Additionally, they are building social skills as they work together on building the robots, developing resilience, as the find out things don't work out and they have to go back and rebuild or correct errors and complete tests to find better solutions, and finally they are applying math skill by measuring distances, counting grids and estimating angles.
All of this translates to the students learning to tackle real-world challenges and seeing their ideas come to life, students develop a deeper interest in STEM subjects thus gain valuable skills and experience for future learning into middle and high school CTE programs.
Every day, I see students who are naturally curious about how things work. They ask questions, enjoy solving problems, and become fully engaged when they have the opportunity to build, test, and discover. As both the Science Teacher and Technology Club Teacher on our campus, I have watched firsthand how the Coding Club transforms learning. Students who may struggle in a traditional classroom often become leaders when they are given the chance to design, build, and program a robot (microbits). Unfortunately, not every student has that opportunity because we have only offered it to the 4th grade. I want to expand it this year to include both 4th and 5th grade with my 5th grade student migrating to robotics while I continue offering the microbits coding to my 4th graders.
Newport Elementary campus serves approximately 800 students, including 53% who are economically disadvantaged, 24% English Learners, with Hispanics being the majority demographic of our campus. Many of our students have limited access to STEM experiences outside of school, making it even more important that we provide those opportunities during the school day.
Science instruction on our campus follows the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and gives students a strong foundation in scientific concepts. However, there is a difference between learning about engineering and actually thinking like an engineer. Robotics allows students to apply what they have learned by designing solutions, testing ideas, making improvements, and working together to solve real problems. These are experiences that cannot be replicated through worksheets or textbook lessons.
Interest in coding/robotics has grown tremendously on our campus. Students are excited to participate, but our current equipment limits the number of students who can be involved. The addition of VEX IQ Robotics kits would allow us to expand our Technology Club to include true Robotics to led to competitions as a team.
The project will directly serve approximately 20 students through our Robotics Club and competition teams. Because VEX IQ equipment is durable and reusable, these robots will continue serving students for many years, making this a long-term investment in STEM education on our campus.
Beyond teaching coding and engineering, robotics helps students develop skills they will use throughout their lives. Students learn how to communicate with teammates, think critically, solve problems, manage frustration, and persevere when their first solution doesn't work. They learn that failure is not the end of the process—it is part of learning. These are lessons that extend far beyond robotics competitions.
Our students deserve the same opportunities as students in larger or better-funded programs. Early exposure to robotics helps build confidence and sparks interest in careers in science, engineering, technology, and other high-demand fields. By introducing these experiences in elementary school, we can inspire students before they begin making decisions about the courses and careers they will pursue in the future.
This grant would allow us to purchase VEX IQ Robotics kits, competition fields, replacement parts, and classroom resources that will expand access for two grade levels. Instead of just 4th grade students participating, we will be able to expand to 5th grade as well.
As a science teacher, my goal is not simply to teach students science facts. I want them to ask questions, think like scientists, and solve problems like engineers. As a technology teacher, I have seen students discover talents they never knew they had because someone gave them the opportunity to try something new. With the addition of this robotics equipment, we can give that opportunity to many more students.
This project is about more than purchasing robots. It is about opening doors. It is about giving every child the chance to explore, create, collaborate, and discover that they are capable of solving challenging problems. By investing in VEX IQ Robotics, this grant will help prepare our students with the confidence, skills, and experiences they need to be successful in middle school, high school, college, and future careers.
All of this translates to the students learning to tackle real-world challenges and seeing their ideas come to life, students develop a deeper interest in STEM subjects thus gain valuable skills and experience for future learning into middle and high school CTE programs.
Every day, I see students who are naturally curious about how things work. They ask questions, enjoy solving problems, and become fully engaged when they have the opportunity to build, test, and discover. As both the Science Teacher and Technology Club Teacher on our campus, I have watched firsthand how the Coding Club transforms learning. Students who may struggle in a traditional classroom often become leaders when they are given the chance to design, build, and program a robot (microbits). Unfortunately, not every student has that opportunity because we have only offered it to the 4th grade. I want to expand it this year to include both 4th and 5th grade with my 5th grade student migrating to robotics while I continue offering the microbits coding to my 4th graders.
Newport Elementary campus serves approximately 800 students, including 53% who are economically disadvantaged, 24% English Learners, with Hispanics being the majority demographic of our campus. Many of our students have limited access to STEM experiences outside of school, making it even more important that we provide those opportunities during the school day.
Science instruction on our campus follows the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and gives students a strong foundation in scientific concepts. However, there is a difference between learning about engineering and actually thinking like an engineer. Robotics allows students to apply what they have learned by designing solutions, testing ideas, making improvements, and working together to solve real problems. These are experiences that cannot be replicated through worksheets or textbook lessons.
Interest in coding/robotics has grown tremendously on our campus. Students are excited to participate, but our current equipment limits the number of students who can be involved. The addition of VEX IQ Robotics kits would allow us to expand our Technology Club to include true Robotics to led to competitions as a team.
The project will directly serve approximately 20 students through our Robotics Club and competition teams. Because VEX IQ equipment is durable and reusable, these robots will continue serving students for many years, making this a long-term investment in STEM education on our campus.
Beyond teaching coding and engineering, robotics helps students develop skills they will use throughout their lives. Students learn how to communicate with teammates, think critically, solve problems, manage frustration, and persevere when their first solution doesn't work. They learn that failure is not the end of the process—it is part of learning. These are lessons that extend far beyond robotics competitions.
Our students deserve the same opportunities as students in larger or better-funded programs. Early exposure to robotics helps build confidence and sparks interest in careers in science, engineering, technology, and other high-demand fields. By introducing these experiences in elementary school, we can inspire students before they begin making decisions about the courses and careers they will pursue in the future.
This grant would allow us to purchase VEX IQ Robotics kits, competition fields, replacement parts, and classroom resources that will expand access for two grade levels. Instead of just 4th grade students participating, we will be able to expand to 5th grade as well.
As a science teacher, my goal is not simply to teach students science facts. I want them to ask questions, think like scientists, and solve problems like engineers. As a technology teacher, I have seen students discover talents they never knew they had because someone gave them the opportunity to try something new. With the addition of this robotics equipment, we can give that opportunity to many more students.
This project is about more than purchasing robots. It is about opening doors. It is about giving every child the chance to explore, create, collaborate, and discover that they are capable of solving challenging problems. By investing in VEX IQ Robotics, this grant will help prepare our students with the confidence, skills, and experiences they need to be successful in middle school, high school, college, and future careers.
$5,000
Value:
priceless