Coding, Robotics and Technology Education for Ages 8+
Invest in your child’s technology education and enrichment today to set them on a path to excel in the ever accelerating technical, automated world of their future.
- Transforms students into creators of technology, not just consumers.
- Every student builds a Digital Portfolio
- Comparable costs, commitment to other enrichment programs like music and sports
- Small classes (6 students), industry-experienced instructors, high quality equipment
- Project-based curriculum focused on 5 core skills: Problem Identification, Learning to Learn, Critical Thinking, Solutions Design and Project Management
- Courses for high-demand skills such as Mobile App development and AI offered after core programming curriculum completion
2019 Coding and Robotics Classes for Ages 8+
Get your kids started on deep, hands-on technology education programs. Students completing Web Development I and Robotics I in the Spring will be eligible to enroll in the next level courses offered starting this Summer.
- Course fees range from $20-$28 per hour
- Classes are once a week and range in total from 16-28 hours
- Each class is limited to 6 students
- Please see the Calendar for a detailed schedule and Register here.
- Contact us for Home School and Open Lab schedule options.
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Robotics-Web Ages 8-11 2pm-4pm Two 8 week sessions $320 / session Session #2 starts March |
Web Development I Ages 10-16 4pm-6pm 14 week session $750 CLOSED |
Robotics I Ages 10-16 4pm-6pm 14 week session $800 CLOSED |
Web Development I Ages 10-16 5pm-7pm 14 week session $750 CLOSED |
Junior Robotics-Web Ages 8-11 3pm-5pm Two 8 week sessions $320 / session Session #2 starts March |
Iowa Tech Chicks – STEM Innovation Fund Grant
We’re proud to partner with the Iowa Tech Chicks as the provider for the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Innovation Fund Grant Award. This Spring, the Fund will provide scholarships with support from Iowa Tech Chicks for 6 girls to attend the Web Programming course at StairWay5.
Technology Education Curriculum Highlights below:
Web Development I (WEB01) Ages 10-16 Take a bold step into the world of programming. Build critical coding knowledge that will serve as the technical base for further programming languages. Create a Digital Portfolio. Learn and practice:
- Information flow, Internet and website architecture and elements – how web pages, servers and browsers function.
- HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and JavaScript within the industry standard Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
- Design, plan, implement and present multiple web page projects that increase in complexity.
- Code concepts such as inputs, variables, data processing and functions as well as debugging and testing code
Follow this link for additional course details. Students will be provided space to begin their Digital Portfolios to showcase their projects.NEXT LEVEL: Students in Web Development II (WEB02) will launch into building more complex Web applications utilizing JavaScript. These include highly interactive websites and game development. More advanced software application design, algorithm development, coding principles and tools will be practiced through individual projects.
Robotics I (RBT01) Ages 10-16 Delve into the world of robots and learn to make them function to accomplish desired results. This class covers multiple plan, design and build projects to gain a basic understanding of robotics through the following:
- Mechanisms that push, pull and lift – using wheels/axles, inclined planes, wedges, lever, pulleys and screws.
- Machines with motorized movement – motors, gears, drive-trains. Understand speed and torque.
- Machines that use plows, scoops and friction grabbers for object manipulation mechanisms.
- Articulation such as rotating joints and linkages.
- Programming the robot’s computer for processing inputs and performing tasks through simple visual programming
- Sensors to detect inputs such as light, color, objects and motion
Variations from design intent, issues encountered, and lessons learned will follow each project to instill the 5 core skills. Follow this link for additional course details. Students who have completed Programming I can add their Robotics projects to their Digital Portfolios.NEXT LEVEL: Students in Robotics II (RBT02) will build more complex robots and graduate from graphical interface programming to ROBOTC, a powerful C-based programming language which is a cross-platform solution that is used in advanced courses and professional applications. Programming I is a prerequisite.
Makers Lab I Makers Lab provides additional space and time for students who are currently enrolled in or have completed Programming I and/or Robotics I to continue to expand on their projects or design and build new projects. Students will be provided access to computers, robotics kits and other materials like Arduino processor boards. They can choose to work individually or set up teams and collaborate with others for their projects. Students are encouraged to work independently and practice their technical skills and 5 core skills. Instructors will provide guidance and mentoring as needed to ensure students meet the objectives they have set for themselves. Projects completed during the Lab can also be be added to each student’s Digital Portfolio.
- $20 Fee for each Lab session
- Scheduling is flexible