Palo Alto VEX IQ
for 5th Graders

What are VEX & RECF?

VEX IQ is a hands‑on robotics program where kids design, build, and program robots using snap‑together parts. It’s run under the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF), which emphasizes student leadership, teamwork, communication, programming, and real‑world problem solving. Adults guide safety and structure—students do the work.

What This Team Is (and Isn’t)

• Recreational first: Fun, tinkering, learning. We may explore competitions this year or next depending on student interest and readiness.
• Student‑owned: Kids plan, build, and iterate; adults keep them safe, on‑task, and positive.
• Inclusive: No prior experience required. Curiosity beats credentials.

Why VEX IQ for 5th Graders?

• Student‑led teamwork: Plan, divide roles (builder, programmer, driver, documenter), and practice feedback.
• Programming growth: Start with block‑based coding; progress to Python as confidence grows.
• Creative engineering: Design–build–test cycles teach persistence and systems thinking.
• Future‑proof pathway: Smooth progression to VEX V5 (middle/high school) if students want more challenge later.

Calendar & Location

• Location: Palo Alto (near Fairmeadow Elementary; at a residence).
• Schedule: Targeting one weekday after school; confirmed once the group forms.
• Season flow: Intro & safety → Build basic bots → Sensors & autonomy → Mini‑challenges → Optional competition exploration.

Time & Commitment (Parents + Students)

• Start: 1 hour/week to begin (after school or early evening).
• Ramp: Likely 2 hours/week later if students want deeper projects or scrimmages.
• At home (optional): Short design journals, a 5–10 minute skills video, or light coding practice.

What You’ll Need

• Team hardware: We’ll start with shared VEX IQ kits and basic tools.
• Optional: A notebook (or digital doc) for design notes; labeled water bottle.
• No laptops required at first: We’ll provide a coding setup; device specs shared later if needed.

What We’ll Learn

• Mechanical basics: Gears, levers, drivetrains, simple mechanisms.
• Control & sensors: Line tracking, distance sensing, simple autonomy.
• Programming: VEXcode Blocks → intro to Python for interested students.
• Team skills: Stand‑ups, design notebooks, giving updates, and celebrating “good fails.”

Safety & Culture

• Safety first: Eye protection during testing; no rushing around active robots.
• Respect & inclusion: Every voice matters; we rotate roles to grow confidence.
• Growth mindset: Test → learn → iterate. We celebrate prototypes and progress.

About the Coach

We are certified VEX/RECF coaches, ex-Googlers, and parents of a 5th grader at Fairmeadow Elementary (plus a very curious 3-year-old). We love building things with Raspberry Pi and Arduino in our spare time. We are long-time Palo Alto residents and Project Cornerstone classroom readers for the past four years. We are here to provide structure and safety—the kids lead the robotics.

Costs

We’ll keep costs minimal and transparent (shared kits, optional event fees only if we scrimmage/compete). We’ll discuss a simple, per-family share once interest is confirmed.

Join Us / Express Interest

If your child (or you!) is curious, complete our interest form or send us a message. We’ll follow up with schedule options and next steps.

Open Interest Form

Contact

Manisha Verma