Program Overview & Mentor Information

CodeLine Robotics is the LV STEAM League’s hands-on robotics program where students build, wire, and code an Arduino-based robot that can follow a printed track. This is a complete STEAM pathway built for beginners, guiding students step-by-step from their first wire to their first competition run.

Students learn by building something real. They work in small teams, explore electronics, understand sensors, write code, test their robot, refine their design, and compete at the LVSL Festival. Every student becomes a problem solver, creator, and teammate.

This program is open to schools, community groups, youth programs, and families. Kits and training materials are provided through grants and funding support to reduce barriers and increase access to robotics for all learners.

Who Can Participate

• Grades 4 and up
• Teams of 3 to 5 students
• Beginners welcome — no prior robotics or coding experience
• Each team must have a dedicated mentor
• Students compete in age-based categories:
– Rider: Grades 4–5
– Runner: Grades 6–7
– Sprinter: Age 13 and older

Teams must stay within a two-year age range, and the team’s category is based on the oldest member.

What Students Do

Over the course of 18 lessons, students will:

• Build the physical robot
• Attach motors, wheels, sensors, and wiring
• Learn how light-dependent resistors work
• Write Arduino code
• Test and debug their robot
• Practice following the competition track
• Prepare for race day and the three official competition runs

Every lesson is hands-on. Every robot behaves differently. Every student learns by experimenting and trying again.

What Comes in the Robot Kit

Each team receives an Arduino-based rover kit that includes:

• Arduino Uno
• Motor controller (H-bridge)
• Motors, wheels, and metal caster
• Light-dependent resistors (LDR sensors)
• Resistors and wiring components
• Battery pack
• Chassis parts and hardware

All components are designed for beginners, easy to assemble, and safe for student use.

Kits may be:

• Granted to schools and youth organizations (up to 2 kits per year, 4 if returning)
• Requested by families (1 per household with refundable deposit)
• Purchased at cost by anyone wishing to participate

If the team attends the festival event, the kit becomes theirs permanently.

What the Competition Looks Like

Students bring their completed robot to the LVSL Festival.
On event day:

• Each team receives three official runs
• Robots must begin each run untouched
• Once the robot starts, no one may touch or interfere
• Each run has a maximum of three minutes
• Scoring is based on the last yellow marker passed
• Scores from all three runs are combined for a final total

The track becomes narrower and more difficult as it continues.
No robot has ever completed the full course — and that’s intentional.
The challenge is designed to reward learning, creativity, and improvement.

What Students Learn

CodeLine teaches real engineering skills in a friendly way:

• Electronics basics
• How sensors work
• Coding structure and logic
• Debugging and problem solving
• Team communication
• Iteration and refinement
• Grace, patience, and perseverance

This is robotics designed for kids who have never built anything before.

Mentor Role & Expectations

Mentors are the heart of the program.
You do not need to be an engineer to mentor a team.
You just need patience, curiosity, and a willingness to learn alongside your students.

Who Can Mentor

• Parents
• Teachers
• Youth leaders
• Coaches
• Community volunteers
• Older teens or adults approved by the organization

Parents may mentor one team.
Teachers or youth staff may mentor up to four teams.

What Mentors Actually Do

Mentors guide the learning process.
Students do all of the hands-on work.

Mentors help by:

• Keeping the team organized
• Reviewing the lesson for the day
• Asking helpful questions
• Encouraging testing and re-testing
• Supporting teamwork and communication
• Helping students stay calm when things don’t work
• Celebrating effort and progress
• Keeping everyone safe

Mentors do not build the robot, wire the robot, or write the code. Students must create the robot themselves.

You are a coach, not a builder.

Support for Mentors

LV STEAM League provides:

• Complete printed and digital lesson plans (all 18)
• Full mentor training sessions
• Weekend support labs where adults and students can get help
• Videos, documentation, and troubleshooting guides
• Access to the LVSL robotics community for help and advice

Our goal is to make mentoring feel possible, even for adults with no technical background.

Program Schedule & Time Commitment

Teams typically meet:

• Once or twice per week
• For 60–90 minutes per session
• Across 18 lessons (6–12 weeks depending on pacing)

Students build their robot gradually, completing wiring, testing motors, learning to read sensors, writing code, and preparing for their first practice runs.

The full program can be completed before the LVSL Festival, where teams compete.

Festival Expectations

On festival day, teams should arrive with:

• A fully built robot
• Their final code uploaded
• A charged battery
• Any spare wires or replacement resistors
• A willingness to cheer for other teams and enjoy the energy of the event

The day is busy, exciting, and filled with robots learning — sometimes the hard way.

Teams leave proud, tired, and thrilled that they built something real.

The Spirit of CodeLine Robotics

This program is not about perfection.
It’s about exploration, teamwork, and discovery.

Students learn that:

• Failure is data
• Every run matters
• Problems are puzzles
• Teamwork makes everything better
• Real engineering takes time
• Trying again is part of the process
• They are fully capable of building something amazing

CodeLine is confidence-building, skill-building, and fun.

We Are Here to Help

Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, a mentor, or a youth leader, you are not doing this alone.
LV STEAM League is here to support you every step of the way.

If you need help with kits, training, lessons, timelines, or troubleshooting, our team is always available.

Together, we’re building robots — and stronger students.