Enrichment · STEM Explorations

Know what is in the bins
before build night.

Robotics shops lose time to missing hex keys, dead sensors and the one battery nobody trusts. Count each item or set once: how many you have, how many work, where it lives and who has it. Batteries get five safety checks of their own, and the page flags anything broken, damaged or out too long.

Count the first itemWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the STEM explorations set, $49 for 13 items.

Inventory

The worked example is made up: four items in one school robotics room. Team codes, not names. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · STEM Explorations$5

What you finish with
An inventory record per item or set: category, quantity, how many work, bin or shelf, condition, date counted, five battery safety checks and check-outs by team code. Totals units working and units checked out; flags broken units, damaged or unchecked batteries, retired items and check-outs older than 30 days.
Who it is for
Robotics coaches and mentors, STEM and engineering teachers, and student team captains who run the parts room.
Format
Browser inventory with a saved record per item. Prints one item, the whole inventory as a count sheet or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the STEM explorations set ($49) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The STEM Explorations space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Count one bin or shelf at a time and add each item or set.
  2. Write how many you have and how many work.
  3. For batteries and chargers, work through the five safety checks; mark them does not apply for everything else.
  4. Log check-outs by team code and the date back.
  5. Clear the flags before the next build session, starting with any damaged battery.

Count the first item

Caring for the riskiest thing in the room

Lithium polymer battery care, start to finish1InspectLook for swelling, dents andtorn wrap before every charge.2ChargeMatching charger,fire-resistant bag, an adult3UseStop when the robot slows;deep drains damage packs.4StoreStorage charge, in afire-resistant box, cool and5RetirePuffy or damaged: isolate itand take it to a recycler.Lithium polymer battery care, start to finish1InspectLook for swelling, dents and torn wrapbefore every charge.2ChargeMatching charger, fire-resistant bag, anadult nearby.3UseStop when the robot slows; deep drainsdamage packs.4StoreStorage charge, in a fire-resistant box,cool and dry.5RetirePuffy or damaged: isolate it and take itto a recycler.
Lithium batteries never go in the trash or the recycling bin. Tape the terminals and use a battery drop-off.

Why batteries get their own checks

Lithium polymer packs store a lot of energy in a soft pouch. Overcharging, puncturing or charging a damaged pack can start a fire that is hard to put out. Most battery fires in school shops start during charging, so the charging rules matter most.

Working versus owned

A count of what you own hides what you can use. Tracking how many work shows where to spend the budget, and a short notes line on what broke helps the next team avoid the same mistake.

Check-outs by code

Use team or student codes rather than names, write the date out, and fill in the date back. Anything out for more than a month is probably lost in a backpack.

Sources

  1. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Lithium-ion battery safety (cpsc.gov).
  2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Used lithium-ion batteries; how to recycle them safely (epa.gov/recycle).
  3. National Fire Protection Association: Lithium-ion battery safety tips (nfpa.org).
  4. National Science Teaching Association: Safety in the science classroom, laboratory or field sites (nsta.org).

The worked example is made up. Follow the battery maker’s instructions and your school’s safety rules. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.