Brainstorm
Timeline
2025 → Enrichment-focused, team building, recruit mentors
2026 → Internal scrimmages, begin comp workflows
2027 → Competitions (regionals → state → international)
Short-Term Focus Areas
Recruit and empower students through fun, hands-on STEM experiences
Evaluate current kits, workspace, and device access
Establish routines for design thinking, coding, and engineering journals
Infuse Catholic leadership principles — mentorship, stewardship, perseverance
Long-Term Focus Areas
Establish a visible PreK–12 STEAM pipeline that clearly shows robotics is embedded into SHA’s identity. From first builds in preschool through global robotics opportunities in high school. This will help grow:
1 – Student enrollment
2 – Family participation
3 – Donor investment and community partnerships
Key Takeaways
Grow something sustainable, not just impressive robots, but students with technical skills, leadership values, and real-world confidence.
Early years = exploration.
Upper grades = mastery + mentoring.
??? Part of SHA’s identity: “We build innovators here.”
PreK–12 Curriculum Map
| Grade Level | Focus Area | Tools & Activities | Values & Competencies | NGSS Alignment |
| Preschool–K | Curiosity & Exploration | Sensory STEAM play, storytelling bots, cause-effect games | Wonder, self-regulation, early collaboration | K-PS2-1, K-ESS3-1: Push/pull forces, environmental awareness |
| Grades 1–3 | Design Thinking Foundations | VEX 123, VEX GO, art-integrated coding, “build a bug” challenges | Imagination, spatial reasoning, teamwork | 1-PS4-4, 2-ETS1-1: Sound/light exploration, problem-solving with materials |
| Grades 4–6 | Intro to Robotics & Problem Solving | VEX GO & IQ, sensors, basic engineering notebooks | Critical thinking, digital ethics, perseverance | 3-5-ETS1-2, 4-PS3-4: Engineering design, energy transfer |
| Grades 7–8 | Prototyping & Applied Engineering | VEX IQ Challenge, VEXcode Blocks, mini scrimmages | Strategy, peer mentorship, iterative improvement | MS-ETS1-3, MS-PS2-3: Iterative design, motion and stability |
| Grades 9–10 | Systems & Competitive Readiness | VEX V5, Python/C++, CAD basics, autonomous design, intro to VEX VRC | Leadership, technical fluency, innovation mindset | HS-ETS1-2, HS-PS3-3: Optimization, energy systems |
| Grades 11–12 | Global Impact & Mentorship | Vision sensors, AI modules, student coaching, VEX V5 tournaments | Ethical leadership, service, global citizenship | HS-ETS1-4, HS-ESS3-4: Ethical tech, sustainability, real-world problem solving |
| Month | VEX Robotics Season Timeline |
| May–June | New game is released at VEX Worlds; teams begin brainstorming and early builds |
| July–August | Summer camps or workshops; team recruitment and training |
| September | Official season kickoff; robot design and prototyping begins |
| October | Build and programming intensify; scrimmages or practice matches |
| November–January | Local and regional competitions; iteration and strategy refinement |
| February | State Championships (qualifiers for Worlds) |
| March–April | Final tuning, outreach, and documentation; Worlds prep (if qualified) |
| Late April | VEX Worlds – international championship event |