 Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside educators in classrooms, workshops, and at the NAPE Summit. In education, conversations are often framed in terms of what teachers need to learn. But what’s becoming clear is what they are already holding, not just lesson plans or standards, but responsibility, tension, and risk. Teachers are not avoiding challenges; they are constantly navigating them. A NAPE session on Supporting Equity and Excellence in the Multigenerational Workforce highlighted one gap that keeps showing up: professional learning is too often designed for teachers instead of with them. When lived experience, generational perspectives, and insights are overlooked, it minimizes the very expertise the work is meant to build. What’s needed instead is something deeper than inclusion. It’s radical empathy and the willingness to understand what people are navigating before we ask them to take on something new. We talk frequently about creating “safe spaces” for students, but what does that look like for teachers, especially when the work itself is complex, messy, and uncertain? At the NAPE Summit, that question felt especially relevant. Across keynotes and sessions, there was a shared commitment to equity-centered teaching, along with an honest acknowledgment that this work is not just intellectually demanding. It is emotionally and professionally complex, requiring educators to navigate discomfort, hold multiple truths, and make decisions about when to push and when to pause.  Before our session, Build-a-Bot: Democratizing Manufacturing and Design in STEM Education, I noticed a question from a participant in the conference app: “I am curious to see if I can do this.” It wasn’t about standards or classroom application, it was simply about whether they could step into the experience themselves.
The session itself was far from perfect. My laptop had issues with the projector, some of the kits weren’t packaged quite right, and there were challenges during the build process. But no one left out of frustration or stopped when things got hard. Instead, teachers leaned in, helped each other, and stayed with the process. By the end of the session, every participant was part of a team that successfully built a robot. That environment didn’t happen by accident. It functioned as a safe space, not one without challenge, but one where challenge was expected, supported, and shared. Teachers had room to try, to troubleshoot, and to rely on each other, and that made all the difference. Teachers don’t disengage when things are challenging; they disengage when they don’t feel supported in working through those challenges. This doesn’t represent a shift in how I think about Roversa. If anything, it’s a confirmation that we are on the right track. From the beginning, the goal hasn’t been to create something teachers simply implement, but something they can shape, that leaves room for their expertise, their context, and their decision-making. What we saw at NAPE and in classrooms reinforces that. When teachers are given the space to try, troubleshoot, and build alongside each other, even when things don’t go perfectly, they persist. They collaborate. They figure it out, not because everything is easy, but because the conditions make it possible to stay in the work. That’s the kind of environment we want Roversa to support. This work, whether it’s building robots, exploring AI, or trying something new in the classroom, thrives when we create safe, collaborative spaces where teachers can explore, learn, and grow. At NAPE, there was also a reference to author Octavia Butler; the idea that we have to be able to envision the future we want to be part of. Teachers are already doing that work. The question is whether we are building in ways that support them in it or in ways that make it harder.
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 We’ve been testing Roversa across classrooms in Virginia and what students are doing with it is reshaping how we think about STEM learning. Over the past few weeks, we’ve had the chance to spend time with students across Virginia from 2nd graders in afterschool programs to middle schoolers in their CTE class to high school AP Psychology students visiting UVA. Different ages. Different contexts. Same robot. But this wasn’t just about sharing Roversa, it was about testing what comes next. We brought early ideas and in-progress designs into real learning environments. These weren’t polished experiences. They were intentionally unfinished, so we could see how students interacted, where they got stuck, and what they naturally wanted to do next. And what we learned is already shaping the next iterations of Roversa. Personalization Starts Earlier Than We Expect At a time when schools are investing heavily in AI tools that are increasingly abstract, one of the biggest challenges we’re seeing is that students are craving something they can see, control, and shape in real time. This is the space we’re designing Roversa to support. With our digital pet prototype, it didn’t take long for students to move beyond figuring out the robot. They began naming it, talking to it, and deciding who it should be. In one session, a student paused and said she needed to “get into her creative mode” before deciding what to program. Across ages and settings, students treated Roversa less like a tool and more like something they could shape. A button programmed to “dance” wasn’t just an action, it became a way to make the robot happy. Even students who initially seemed hesitant were drawn into experimenting once they saw how their inputs changed behavior. Personalization isn’t something to add later. It’s where students begin to make learning their own.  Feedback Matters
As students explored, they naturally started asking the kinds of questions we hope for: why didn’t it move? What happens if I try this instead? They tested, adjusted, and tried again. But when the system didn’t respond clearly, momentum slowed. If the robot didn’t move and there was no visible reason, students hesitated. If outputs were hard to interpret, they weren’t sure what to change. Even small delays led them to repeat actions, unsure if anything had worked. The issue wasn’t effort or curiosity, it was feedback. When students can see the connection between what they do and what happens next, they keep going. When they can’t, they pause. That gap shapes whether students stay engaged in the work. The First Few Minutes Decide Everything The biggest shift wasn’t about what students could do, it was how they started. When we introduced more complex ideas right away, like training motion-based AI models, students hesitated. Not because they couldn’t do it, but because the purpose wasn’t clear. But when we started with something simple and familiar, like interacting with a digital pet, everything changed. Students jumped in. They tested. They laughed. They iterated. And once they understood the idea, they were ready to go further—adding behaviors, experimenting, and making it their own. It wasn’t about removing complexity. It was about sequencing it. Starting with something students understand, giving them early success, and then building from there creates the conditions for deeper engagement. What We’re Exploring Next One of my favorite moments came from a student who said he liked the activity because he could program the robot to do anything he wanted. That sense of “anything” is what these early explorations are really about. Not just testing features, but understanding how to build tools that students feel they can shape, explore, and grow with. And it’s leading us to new questions:
 At Andrew Lewis Middle School, every sixth grader rotates through six electives as part of an “exploratory” experience. One of those rotations is Ms. Brown’s Introduction to Technology course — a class where students explore 13 different areas of technology, from bridge engineering to forensic science to computer graphics. Last week, the classroom buzzed with a different kind of energy. Instead of sitting behind screens, students worked in pairs with mallets, pliers, and screwdrivers in hand. Their task: assemble their own Roversa robot from the ground up. Before a single line of block-based code is written, students experience something just as important — real-world manufacturing. Learning Through DoingAs the robots began to take shape, so did the learning. Some teams accidentally installed the directional buttons backwards. Others discovered their motors wouldn’t run because the lead wires weren’t grounded correctly. Each mistake became an opportunity to test, troubleshoot, and try again. They didn’t wait for the “right answer.” They tested as they built. They persevered. And within a single class period, every pair successfully completed their robot. And one pair even started a second!  Collaboration at the CoreWhat stood out most wasn’t just the technical progress — it was the partnership. Students negotiated roles. They passed tools back and forth. When one partner struggled, the other leaned in to help. There was laughter, encouragement, and the occasional celebratory whoop when the robot did as it was programmed. The room was fully engaged the whole class period. This wasn’t just a build — it was a shared accomplishment. Why Build First?Before students move into block-based coding and hands-on programming challenges, they now understand their robot from the inside out. They’ve handled the components. They’ve tightened the wheels. They’ve seen firsthand how small adjustments affect performance. That foundation changes the coding experience. Instead of abstract commands on a screen, students are programming something they built themselves. This physical learning is so important for all learners and especially for middle school. And perhaps most importantly, they leave the classroom with a powerful realization: Everyone can be a builder. Integrating the LearningRoversa is co-designing lessons with middle school teachers to integrate computer science - and these student built robots - into their language arts, US history, science and math lessons this spring. This work was made possible by an Advancing Computer Science Education grant from the Virginia Department of Education.
 In a world shaped by climate change, environmental pollution, and the accelerated loss of biodiversity, it is increasingly urgent to rethink how new generations relate to nature. The silent decline of species and ecosystems not only disrupts environmental balance but also affects food security, human health, and climate regulation. Moreover, it weakens the cultural and emotional bonds that connect people to their surroundings, particularly in urban contexts where biodiversity is often perceived as distant or disconnected from everyday life. In megadiverse countries like Colombia, this disconnection poses a particularly significant challenge. Despite the country’s extraordinary natural wealth, many local species remain invisible or stigmatized within the social imagination, limiting their appreciation and protection from an early age. In this context, education becomes a key tool for bringing biodiversity closer to children’s daily experiences through creative, place-based, and meaningful approaches. It is at this intersection of biodiversity, education, and territory that a transmedia project called Sin feos no hay paraíso (“Without the ‘ugly ones’ there is no paradise”) emerges, led by Fundación La Mecedora de Darwin, a Barranquilla-based science communication foundation with a strong territorial focus. The initiative is implemented in public schools across Barranquilla with the goal of transforming perceptions of stigmatized native fauna and promoting their recognition as essential components of urban and peri-urban ecosystems.  The project integrates multiple pedagogical strategies, including educational videos grouped under the concept “Los feos la vacilan”, a coloring book titled “La liga de los feos”, co-created with the participation of 15 regional artists who generously donated their artwork, and a set of in-person workshops centered on local biodiversity. Through these resources, the goal is that children become familiar with native species, understand their ecological roles, and question the negative ideas often associated with them, fostering a more empathetic and meaningful relationship with the fauna of their territory.  The project’s first implementation took place at IED Las Flores, a public school located in the Las Flores neighborhood of Barranquilla, an area surrounded by ecosystems such as the Caribbean beach, the Magdalena river (the main river in Colombia), and a wetland called Cienaga Mallorquin.  This close and everyday relationship with diverse natural environments created an especially favorable context for the pedagogical experience, as many of the children already recognized the species being discussed as part of their immediate surroundings. This prior familiarity resulted in strong engagement and enthusiastic participation throughout the workshops.
The activities included bodily, artistic, and narrative exercises: children acted like animals, drew them, and reflected collectively on their ecological importance. The experience was then enriched through the incorporation of Roversa, an educational robotics platform designed by the Global Center for Equitable Computer Science Education and Roversa Robotics, to strengthen learning in computing and STEM through accessible, playful, and hands-on experiences.
For this workshop, the Roversa robots were dressed up with costumes representing three stigmatized animals: a black vulture, an opossum, and a caiman. These ‘animals’ were then placed in scenarios that represented the ecosystems where these species provide key ecosystem services. In the first phase, children familiarized themselves with how the robot worked; once comfortable, they began solving challenges linked to the ecological roles of each animal. The activity concluded with a friendly competition among the groups, aiming to complete the circuit using the fewest movements and the shortest time possible, integrating computational thinking, teamwork, and environmental education.
This experience demonstrates that educational robotics can go far beyond technical learning and become a powerful tool for environmental education. For teachers and educational institutions, Sin feos no hay paraíso offers a replicable model that combines transmedia storytelling, hands-on activities, and accessible technology, showing that it is possible to teach computing while simultaneously strengthening emotional and cognitive connections to local biodiversity. In this encounter between robots, territory, and “not-so-charismatic” fauna, new ways of learning, caring, and inhabiting the world begin to emerge.   Every journey has a starting point. Not a product launch or a business plan—just people showing up with ideas and a willingness to try things. For Roversa, the VSTE conferences were a critical part of that journey. Long before Roversa Robotics existed, VSTE was where ideas were shared, tested, and improved through conversations with other educators. It was a place to see what teachers were building and what still needed to be figured out. Over time, VSTE became a space to explore new tools, rethink how computer science could fit into K–12 classrooms, and learn from educators doing the work every day.  The focus of the conference has always been on supporting teachers to integrate technology, inspire learners, and foster innovation. Through hands-on spaces, teacher-led sessions, and informal conversations, VSTE brings educators together to share lessons learned, swap ideas, and try new approaches. That mindset shows up clearly in Roversa today. Our emphasis on creative problem-solving, project-based learning, and co-designing with teachers didn’t happen all at once. It grew from years of listening and learning alongside educators who care deeply about their students and their classrooms. Being back at VSTE this year felt like continuing a conversation that started years ago. The same values are still there: curiosity, collaboration, and helping teachers open new opportunities for their students through computer science.  Roversa didn’t start as a company. It started with classroom ideas, educator conversations, and small experiments—many of them rooted in spaces like VSTE. That’s why this conference continues to matter to us.
Want to read Kim Wilkens, Roversa Co-founder’s, full personal reflection on her time at VSTE? Check out her blog post here: https://medium.com/@missbit/a-view-of-entrepreneurship-my-adventures-at-vste-ab88485e64d7  As part of Cátedra Europa, an annual academic and cultural event organized by Universidad del Norte that serves as a bridge between the Colombian Caribbean and the international academic community, the 5th Ibero-American Seminar on Computational Thinking was held. The seminar featured a wide range of presentations, lectures, and workshops. Among them stood out the workshop titled “Exploring Computational Thinking with Roversa: Build, Customize, and Teach”, a practical and creative space that brought together participants from diverse disciplines to explore new ways of integrating computational thinking into education from the earliest levels. The workshop was led by Paola Harris Bonet and Alejandro Espinal Duque, members of the Global Center for Equitable Computer Science Education, who introduced Roversa, a low-cost educational robot designed to promote the development of computational thinking in children through playful, creative, and hands-on experiences.  A Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Experience The session included students from various undergraduate programs and regions, as well as participants from the Design and Education programs at Universidad del Norte. This diversity of backgrounds enabled a truly interdisciplinary exercise in which design and pedagogy converged to create meaningful learning experiences. Over the course of two hours, participants experienced the full process of building the robot—from assembling Roversa to customizing it with costumes and thematic settings. The activity was guided step by step through the identification of components, understanding the robot’s functioning, and conducting basic tests. Once assembled, each group brought their Roversa to life by incorporating elements of creativity, storytelling, and pedagogical exploration.  From Assembly to Imagination
Beyond the technical aspects, the workshop emphasized the pedagogical potential of Roversa as a tool to foster creativity, problem-solving, and collaborative work in the classroom. Participants reflected on the importance of introducing robotics and computational thinking from early childhood, laying the cognitive and creative foundations necessary for future learning in computer science and other disciplines. During the customization phase, participants decorated and dressed their robots using a variety of materials—colored paper, textures, and markers—transforming each Roversa into a unique and versatile educational tool. This process sparked ideas on how robotics could be integrated into different subjects and narratives, demonstrating its adaptability in areas such as language, art, and science. Toward a More Equitable and Creative Computer Science Education The workshop concluded with a collective reflection on Roversa’s potential as a resource for inclusive and equitable learning. Both teachers and students shared strategies for adapting robot-based activities to different educational contexts, highlighting its accessibility and usefulness in settings with limited technological resources. For facilitators Paola Harris Bonet and Alejandro Espinal Duque, this experience represented a concrete example of how creative design and educational technology can come together to make computational thinking more accessible, engaging, and meaningful for all learners.  How can we make computer science (CS) accessible to every student? Sometimes, the answer isn’t in the latest high-tech gadget — it’s in your recycling bin.
At SIPECO 2025 (the Ibero-American Seminar on Computational Thinking), we explored this very idea through an interactive workshop titled “CS-Powered Cardboard Creations.” Together with educators, researchers, and students from across Latin America, we reimagined how to bring computational thinking to life using simple materials, creativity, and collaboration. Read all about the experience on MakeDo's Blog. Bonus content:  What happens when you mix cardboard, stop-motion animation, and robotics? You get pure creative magic—and some seriously cool projects! Our latest stop in the Where in the World series takes us to Charlottesville, Virginia, where Tech-Girls, Light House Studio, Roversa Robotics, and Makedo teamed up for a special Earth Day-inspired workshop: Robots Save the World. Who was there?
What was the challenge?This workshop encouraged participants to create with purpose. By upcycling cardboard, they saw the creative potential in materials that might otherwise end up in the trash. With Makedo tools and connectors, they built imaginative environments, props, and robot accessories—while also thinking about sustainability and reuse. The theme--Robots Save the World—was the spark for imaginative narratives and real-world problem solving. One group might animate their robot planting trees, another could build a cardboard ocean cleanup scene. Every story was an opportunity to show how tech and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand.  Why does it matter? One of the best parts of collaborating with Light House Studio is how they help us connect storytelling with computer science. Many participants come in excited to make something creative, but may not yet feel confident coding or building robots. Framing the experience around telling a story makes it more inviting and meaningful. Suddenly, the challenge becomes, “How do I get my robot to bring this idea to life?” And that’s where the real learning begins.
As the founder of Tech-Girls and co-founder of Roversa Robotics, I was thrilled to bring these two communities together for the first time. Pairing Roversa’s versatile robotics platform with Makedo’s cardboard construction tools created the perfect playground for invention. Want to see the magic in action? 🎬 Watch the Robots Save the World projects 🎥 And check out behind-the-scenes fun from a past Tech-Girls & Light House Studio Palentine’s Day workshop  This past week, our classroom came alive with the energy of exploration, problem-solving, and plenty of celebrations as we kicked off our computer science curriculum in CTE using Roversa robots. One of the best parts about using the Roversa robots was how easy they were to implement into a lesson. Students didn’t need a long introduction to coding—instead, they learned how to program as they went. The robots offered an accessible entry point into computer science, making it simple for students to engage right away. Students were introduced to the concept of pseudocode as they worked to move their robots to different spots around the room. Along the way, they experienced moments of both success and failure—valuable opportunities to practice persistence and refine their strategies. Through this activity, students learned important computer science fundamentals such as sequencing, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Each group was challenged to code their robots toward specific classroom targets, ultimately racing toward the finish line.  What stood out most was the level of engagement and collaboration. The classroom was filled with excitement—cheers and celebrations erupted as teams successfully guided their robots to their goals. This hands-on experience not only introduced students to coding but also highlighted the importance of teamwork and resilience. The Roversa robots proved to be a fantastic, easy-to-use tool to launch our journey into computer science this year.
We cannot wait to see what else we can do with these amazing robots! Guest blog post from Joe Beasley, CTE Teacher, Goochland Middle School  One of the most rewarding parts of our work at Roversa Robotics is partnering with teachers to co-design learning experiences that bring computer science (CS) to life in creative and meaningful ways. Whether it's a farm full of waddling ducks or a deep-sea mission to the ocean floor, we’ve seen how world-building through robotics can open up new dimensions of learning. Why Robotics? Why World-building? There’s a growing body of research showing that robots are more than just cool gadgets in the classroom—they’re powerful tools for learning:
Here is what we’ve discovered through working directly with teachers and their students: world-building might be the secret ingredient that makes everything click. When students create and explore imagined worlds with Roversa, they:
In short, world-building turns robotics into a launchpad for learning across every dimension.  Duck Duck Robot: Math Meets Storytime One of our favorite examples of this creative integration is Duck Duck Robot. It all started with a read-aloud favorite in a K–1 classroom: Quack and Count by Keith Baker. A teacher reached out to explore how she could extend the story’s math concepts with a robotics twist. Together, we developed a story-based activity kit that uses Roversa to explore addition, grouping, and sequencing—all while helping a duck waddle its way through the world students helped create. The result? A joyful, standards-aligned activity that connects math, literacy, and CS through play and storytelling. Underwater Mission: Dive Into Integrated Science + CS Another inspiring collaboration emerged in a 4th grade classroom studying the ocean floor. The original lesson had students code a model of the terrain. The teacher saw an opportunity to make it more engaging—and that’s when Underwater Mission was born. With Roversa, students didn’t just code about the ocean—they built an ocean world. They navigated underwater missions, identified topographic features, and explored environmental science, all while applying CS concepts like sequences and loops in a physical space. The World is Their Workshop At Roversa, we believe the best learning happens when students are creators, not just consumers. Through our co-designed activity kits and teacher partnerships, we’re seeing how world-building can:
Student-Created Resources Coming Soon What makes these learning experiences even more special is that they were brought to life—literally—by a student creator. One of our talented student interns, Sona Tomy, took the world-building concept and ran with it, designing custom mats, costumes, and character cards to enhance classroom storytelling and exploration. In her own words, “I was deeply inspired by Roversa’s mission to reach students in every classroom, regardless of their prior experience with or access to STEM. When I saw that teachers were open to integrating Roversa into their classroom lessons, world-building felt like something worth exploring. The ball started rolling when a 4th grade science teacher asked us to design an underwater exploration mat to supplement his lesson. While drawing that mat, I thought, ‘Well what if we gave his students characters and robot costumes to explore the ocean with?’—and that’s where it all began! As I created more materials for a variety of lessons, I started to see the greater scope of what I was doing. I started to realize the potential of integrating CS education into any subject and any age group. CS doesn’t have to be secluded into computer labs or stand-alone classes. The concepts can be learned alongside math, science, reading, and even art. Seeing my original mats being used by students in an elementary classroom was a profound experience for me. The creative world that Roversa opens up, combined with fundamental CS concepts, may be just the spark that inspires them to become the leading thinkers, dreamers, and creators of tomorrow."  These beautifully crafted resources—and the accompanying activity kits—will soon be available for purchase, making it even easier for teachers and families to dive into immersive robotics adventures.
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