Yes, this program is designed to be an online, self-paced curriculum that teaches directly to the student.

The lessons assume neither the parent or student have previous experience working with electronics, writing Python code, using a Raspberry Pi, or constructing a robot from scratch. We strive to provide a low-stress option for homeschooling families needing a high school STEM elective with easy-to-follow lesson videos, step-by-step activity instructions (complete with very detailed photos), and standardized equipment kits.

Mature and motivated high school students should be able to complete the course with a reasonable level of independence. Less mature or younger students will benefit from a parent close by or working along side them (for more information, please see the age range FAQ below)

The program was originally designed at a high school level. This applies particularly to the complexity of the concepts taught and the student's attention to detail.

Working with electronics and code requires precision. A small error in the placement of an electrical component in a circuit or even a single incorrect or missing character in the code will cause the circuit or code not to work. While this presents wonderful learning opportunities to improve careful reading and attention to detail, the precision requirement can simply be too frustrating for some students and we encourage parents to use discretion when deciding whether to use this program.

If you are considering using the program with a middle school student or a younger high school student, we recommend the following:

• Wait to start the program until their reading comprehension and concept comprehension skills have reached a high school level
• Evaluate whether your student has demonstrated an ability to work with precision and pay attention to small details
• Be available to support your student; you don't necessarily need to work through the program with them, but be close by to help them reread a section or double check that they've accurately duplicated the circuit or code laid out in the lesson. 95% of issues students run into when working through the program are results of a tiny error in the electronic component placement or code and almost all of these can be located with a parent's fresh set of eyes.
  

While larger cities tend to have local businesses that provide in-person electronics, coding or robotics courses, this program will generally be a better choice for several reasons:

• All the courses we offer can be completed at your student's own pace. An in-person class requires everyone to work at essentially the same pace. This can prove frustrating for students who are able to move through material more quickly as well as for students who need extra time to practice particular skills. This program allows for students to complete lessons as often as desired, re-watch videos, rework through activities, and pause when needed for additional practice.
• This program teaches students to work with real electronic components and real code. Most in-person classes use robotics kits that contain manufactured snap-together parts and proprietary code. While fun, your student won't walk away with many real-world skills. Our courses teach your student to work with the same electronic components you find on electronic supply websites. We also teach them to work with Python--currently the fastest growing computer programming language in the world. Once they've worked through a course, your student will have a broad base of knowledge to continue to learn to work with even more components and code commands as they find niche skill areas to explore. This is a huge advantage!
• Your student gets to keep all the parts for future projects. One of the big advantages to this program is the significant set of electronic components your student will own and know how to use after completing their course. The learning isn't over when the course ends! Your student will be well equipped to tackle novel projects going forward.
• Our program is significantly more in-depth than the local in-person classes generally available. We are committed to every student not only knowing how to work with a range of real electronic components and useful Python code commands, we also work to ensure they understand the how and why behind the science (and even some math!) of electronics and coding. To see a list of the skills taught in each program lesson level:
  

• Click here to view the Level A Lessons Scope and Sequence
• Click here to view the Level B Lessons Scope and Sequence
• Click here to view the Level C Lessons Scope and Sequence
• Click here to view the Level D Lessons Scope and Sequence

• Basic Electronics & Coding Course: Level A Lessons
• One Semester Electronics & Coding Course: Level A and Level B Lessons
• Two Semester Electronics & Coding Course: Level A, B, and C Lessons
• Robotics Course: Level A, B, C, and D Lessons

Click here to access samples of course videos, activity instructions, and a scope and sequence for each level of the course. We'd also encourage you to watch the "Welcome to the Online Classroom" video listed right above the Level A sample links to get a better feel for the logistics of the course and the online classroom environment.

While the Intro to Robotics course contains hundreds of videos and hundreds of activities, we would recommend focusing your evaluation of their work on the activities and projects.

Assuming a student has required minimal amount of help from a parent or our support team, properly working projects require a fairly sophisticated understanding of the material. Simply put, if their projects work as anticipated, your student has demonstrated significant understanding and retention of the material and should be graded appropriately.

The Raspberry Pi used in all our courses (and included in the equipment kits) is essentially a very small, stand-alone computer. To use the Raspberry Pi and complete the levels of the course, please see the lists below for additional equipment needed. The equipment listed is specific to each kit you plan to use (i.e. if you purchase multiple sets of equipment for multiple family members, each set will require a separate monitor, keyboard, etc.) Please note, all levels of the Intro to Robotics program build on previous levels. So each subsequent level requires all skills and equipment used in previous levels.

Basic and One Semester Electronics & Coding Courses:

• Internet access and an Electronic Device to Use to Access the Online Classroom (course lessons, including videos, are provided via the online classroom so high speed internet access is needed; we do not recommend attempting to use the online classroom with a phone due to the small screen size)
• Computer Monitor with HDMI input port (a television can also be used provided it has HDMI inputs, please note, a laptop computer or Chromebook will not work for this purpose as only very high-end laptops have an HDMI input port)
• HDMI cable (likely attached to your computer monitor)
• AA Batteries x2 (these are used in Lessons A-1 to A-9 to power circuits prior to learning to use the Raspberry Pi)
• Keyboard and Mouse (please use a wired keyboard and mouse if possible. Wireless models do not work reliably with the Raspberry Pi. Visit the Level A Resource List for a list of inexpensive keyboard and mouse options)

Two Semester Electronics & Coding Course:

• Internet access and an Electronic Device to Use to Access the Online Classroom (course lessons, including videos, are provided via the online classroom so high speed internet access is needed; we do not recommend attempting to use the online classroom with a phone due to the small screen size)
• Computer Monitor with HDMI input port (a television can also be used provided it has HDMI inputs, please note, a laptop computer or Chromebook will not work for this purpose as only very high-end laptops have an HDMI input port)
• HDMI cable (likely attached to your computer monitor)
• AA Batteries x2 (these are used in Lessons A-1 to A-9 to power circuits prior to learning to use the Raspberry Pi)
• Keyboard and Mouse (please use a wired keyboard and mouse if possible. Wireless models do not work reliably with the Raspberry Pi. Visit the Level A Resource List for a list of inexpensive keyboard and mouse options)

• A Desktop Computer, Laptop, or Chromebook (this can be the same device the student is using to access the online classroom; in Level C this is used in networking lessons)
• Anti-Static Mat (highly recommended to prevent damage to more sensitive equipment such as the Raspberry Pi camera; click here to find one at a bargain price; this is particularly needed in Level C)

Robotics Course:

• Internet access and an Electronic Device to Use to Access the Online Classroom (course lessons, including videos, are provided via the online classroom so high speed internet access is needed; we do not recommend attempting to use the online classroom with a phone due to the small screen size)
• Computer Monitor with HDMI input port (a television can also be used provided it has HDMI inputs, please note, a laptop computer or Chromebook will not work for this purpose as only very high-end laptops have an HDMI input port)
• HDMI cable (likely attached to your computer monitor)
• AA Batteries x2 (these are used in Lessons A-1 to A-9 to power circuits prior to learning to use the Raspberry Pi)
• Keyboard and Mouse (please use a wired keyboard and mouse if possible. Wireless models do not work reliably with the Raspberry Pi. Visit the Level A Resource List for a list of inexpensive keyboard and mouse options)

• A Desktop Computer, Laptop, or Chromebook (this can be the same device the student is using to access the online classroom; in Level C this is used in networking lessons)
• Anti-Static Mat (highly recommended to prevent damage to more sensitive equipment such as the Raspberry Pi camera; click here to find one at a bargain price; this is particularly needed in Level C)

• AA Batteries x6 (these are used to power the robot in Level D; we recommend rechargeable batteries, click here to learn more)
• 9v Battery
• USB Drive (minimum 4 gb)
• Electrical Tape (used in Level D to build a track on the floor for the robot to follow; use black electrical tape if you have light colored flooring, use white electrical tape if you have dark colored flooring)
• USB to SD Card Adapter (optional; Lesson D-1 activity shows students how to back up their SD card to their computer, click here to see links to adapters)

If you do not have a family desktop computer monitor, keyboard, and mouse available to borrow to use with the Raspberry Pi, we generally recommend checking thrift stores and pawn shops for inexpensive monitors, keyboards, and mice.

Within 24 hours of purchase, you should receive an email inviting you to join the Intro to Robotics online classroom (be sure to check your email's promotions and spam folders). If you do not receive that email within 24 hours, please feel free to contact us and we will send you a personalized link to join the online classroom.

We do not offer access to the online classroom separately from the kits. We are 100% committed to troubleshooting any bumps you or your students may face on the road to learning. Unfortunately component connections can be configured differently or may not be compatible depending on the specific component or manufacturer, even though they may look almost identical. That means you'd likely to run into incompatibility issues and makes it really difficult (and potentially impossible) for us to troubleshoot effectively. Our goal is for our program to be open-and-go and low-stress for homeschooling families.  Ensuring students are working with a standardized kit of parts helps make that happen. If you do already have extra components (and even an extra Raspberry Pi), those items will come in handy later on when your student decides to have several custom projects going at once.

With proper (gentle) use and storage, the components in the kits should last a long time through many projects. However, with repeated use, some small parts such as resistors and LEDs may wear out and need to be replaced. But rest assured those parts are very inexpensive to replace.

However, whenever kids are involved, there's a potential for things to be misplaced, treated poorly, etc. We do offer replacement parts here on our website in the event you need them.

We are happy to help you as your students work through the course! Contact us via email and we will help you get back on the right track. While we also provide support via phone, we strongly recommend using email as it's easier to send pictures or copy of your code back and forth--this can help us troubleshoot far more efficiently.

Please note, if your student has a problem with their circuit or their code, we recommend a parent compare what they built or wrote with the detailed activity instructions prior to contacting us. 95% of the support requests we receive turn out to be a slightly misplaced electronic component or a tiny error in the code (every character counts!) While we usually return emails within 4-5 hours during weekday business hours (EST) we also know it's frustrating for students to wait to hear back. Taking a few moments as a parent to double check their work with a fresh set of eyes, will almost always find the problem and get your student back on track more quickly.

Yes! The Raspberry Pi operating system tends to change fairly regularly. Sometimes the changes are minor, such as moving a menu item, and sometimes the changes are major, such as process changes. As we learn of changes to the Raspberry Pi OS, modules, repository libraries or any other resources used in the course, we will update the online classroom ASAP. When accessing the materials through the online classroom, you will always have access to the most up-to-date version of the lesson materials.

We are an approved vendor with a number of charter schools. Please click here to learn more about ordering the program via your charter school funds.

If we are not currently approved with your charter school, please contact your charter school directly and ask we be added to their list (the approval process tends to move much more quickly if it's initiated by a parent rather than our office).

Please note, we are unable to apply free shipping, discounts, and special offers of any kind to orders placed via purchase order from a charter school.