Enrichment · STEM Explorations

Start the team.
Skip the scramble.

A new robotics team needs more than a kit: the right program for the students’ ages, enough screened coaches, a room with storage, safety glasses, forms and a season calendar. List the team and its costs and the checklist sorts what has to happen before students arrive from what can wait.

Launch a teamWhat you get

Your teams

The worked example is made up, costs included: a FIRST LEGO League team with 12 interested students and one coach, and a VEX V5 team nearly ready. Saved on this device only.

Loading the team form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Enrichment · STEM ExplorationsFree

What you finish with
A record per team: program, name, students, coaches, first meeting, start-up costs line by line and ten launch steps. Totals the budget and cost per student and counts steps done; flags team-size limits, FIRST’s two screened coaches, two adults for any youth program, safety glasses, screening before the first meeting and the engineering notebook.
Who it is for
Teachers, parents and community volunteers starting a robotics team at a school, library or club.
Format
Browser checklist with a saved record per team. Prints one team, every team in a table or a blank sheet; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. 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. Pick the program that fits the students’ ages.
  2. Count students and screened adult coaches.
  3. List start-up costs from the program’s current price list.
  4. Work through the launch steps, screening first.
  5. Hold the first meeting with notebook and safety rules ready.

Launch a team

Which program

Programs at a glanceProgramGrades or agesRobotFIRST LEGO League ChallengeAges 9 to 14 in the U.S.LEGO Education kitFIRST Tech ChallengeGrades 7 to 12Metal and plastic kitFIRST Robotics CompetitionGrades 9 to 12Full-size, built in weeksVEX IQElementary and middleSnap-together plasticVEX V5Middle and high schoolMetal, programmablePrograms at a glanceFIRST LEGO League ChallengeGrades or ages: Ages 9 to 14 in the U.S.Robot: LEGO Education kitFIRST Tech ChallengeGrades or ages: Grades 7 to 12Robot: Metal and plastic kitFIRST Robotics CompetitionGrades or ages: Grades 9 to 12Robot: Full-size, built in weeksVEX IQGrades or ages: Elementary and middleRobot: Snap-together plasticVEX V5Grades or ages: Middle and high schoolRobot: Metal, programmable
Ages and grades are the programs’ general bands; each season’s official rules give the exact eligibility.

Costs change each season

Registration fees, kit prices and event fees are set by each program every season and differ by region. Copy current figures from the program’s own site; the example’s numbers are placeholders.

Find a mentor early

An engineer, a programmer or a student from an older team turns a team of beginners into a team that learns quickly. Local companies, colleges and veteran teams are good places to ask.

Sources

  1. FIRST. Start a team, Youth Protection Program and season game manuals for FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition (firstinspires.org).
  2. REC Foundation. VEX Robotics Competition: start a team and team registration guidance (roboticseducation.org).
  3. National Science Teaching Association. Safety in the science classroom, laboratory or field site (nsta.org).
  4. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Eye and face protection (osha.gov).

The worked examples are made up; the costs are placeholders. Each program’s current rules govern team size, coach requirements and eligibility. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.