What We Do
Our Educational Programs
Five programs. One mission. Every activity we conduct is designed to advance STEM education for K–12 students — using competitive robotics as the teaching tool.
Educational Framing: Elevation Robotics is an educational charity that uses competition as a teaching tool — not a competition management company. Every program below is described in terms of its educational purpose and student outcomes.
40%
Competition Hosting
Organizing sanctioned VEX Robotics and RECF Aerial Drone tournaments that serve as structured educational experiences for K–12 students across Colorado.
What We Do
Elevation Robotics organizes, hosts, and operates competitive robotics and aerial drone tournaments sanctioned by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF). Events include VEX V5 Robotics Competition (V5RC) tournaments, VEX IQ Competition (VIQC) tournaments, and RECF Aerial Drone Competition (ADC) events. Each tournament follows RECF's standardized competition format, which includes qualification matches, alliance selection, elimination brackets, and skills challenges. Events also include judged awards recognizing engineering design process, teamwork, and innovation.
Who Benefits
Students in grades K–12 who are members of registered VEX or ADC teams. Each competition typically serves approximately 32 teams, with an average of 5–8 students per team, reaching approximately 160–256 students per event. Coaches, mentors, and parent volunteers also benefit from the collaborative educational environment.
When & Where
The Corporation plans to host 2–4 competitions per year during the VEX competition season (typically September through February). Events are held at schools, community centers, or other suitable venues in the Denver metropolitan area and surrounding Colorado communities.
How It Works
Each event requires an Event Partner registration through RECF's RobotEvents.com platform. The Corporation provides the competition field elements, game objects, scoring equipment, and audio/visual systems. Volunteer referees, judges, and event staff are recruited, trained, and coordinated by the Corporation. Events are managed using RECF's Tournament Manager software. Competitions are open to all registered VEX or ADC teams that sign up through RobotEvents.com.
Educational Outcomes
- Students apply engineering design process to real competition challenges
- Teams develop programming and mechanical skills through iterative design
- Judged awards recognize engineering notebooks, teamwork, and innovation beyond just winning
- Students gain experience presenting their design process to judges
- Competitive experience builds resilience, teamwork, and academic confidence
How Funded: Team registration fees ($45 per team), corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and grant funding. Registration fees cover a portion of direct event costs; the remainder is subsidized by the Corporation to keep participation affordable.
25%
Equipment Lending
Purchasing, maintaining, and lending competition field elements and scoring systems to schools and organizations at no charge — removing cost barriers to hosting and practice.
What We Do
Elevation Robotics purchases, maintains, and lends competition field elements, game objects, scoring systems, and related equipment to schools and community organizations hosting or preparing for robotics and drone competitions. The Corporation also maintains a shared equipment inventory that teams and event hosts may borrow at no charge.
Who Benefits
Schools, community organizations, after-school programs, and individual teams that cannot afford to purchase the full set of competition equipment, which can cost $2,000–$5,000 or more for a complete event field setup. This program particularly benefits Title I schools and under-resourced communities.
When & Where
Equipment is available year-round. During competition season (September–February), equipment is primarily used for sanctioned events and team practice. During off-season months, equipment is available for summer camps, outreach events, and preseason preparation.
How It Works
Organizations request equipment through the Corporation. The Corporation coordinates scheduling, delivery or pickup, and return. All equipment is inspected before and after each use. Equipment lending is provided at no charge to the borrowing organization. Equipment is stored at a central location in the Denver metropolitan area.
Educational Outcomes
- Schools without purchasing budgets gain access to professional competition equipment
- Teams can practice on regulation fields before competitions
- Organizations can host scrimmages and community events using borrowed equipment
- Reduced barriers enable more programs to start robotics teams
- Equipment access supports STEM learning year-round, not just at competitions
How Funded: Initial equipment purchases ($10,000–$15,000 in Year 1) are funded through grant funding, sponsorships, and organizational reserves. Ongoing maintenance and replacement costs are funded through operating revenue.
20%
Team Grants
Awarding approximately $1,000 per team to cover registration fees, robot parts, and supplies — with priority to Title I schools and high free/reduced-lunch populations.
What We Do
Elevation Robotics awards financial grants to robotics and drone teams to reduce the cost barriers to competition participation. Grants cover team registration fees (approximately $200 per team per season), parts and supplies needed to build and maintain robots or drones, and other direct costs of participation. The target grant amount is approximately $1,000 per team.
Who Benefits
Student teams, particularly those from under-resourced schools and communities, that face financial barriers to participating in competitive robotics programs. The Corporation expects to award grants to 10–20 teams per year, depending on available funding. Priority is given to teams from schools with high percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch.
When & Where
Grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis beginning in the Corporation's first full fiscal year. Grants are available to teams in Colorado, with priority given to teams in the Denver metropolitan area.
How It Works
Teams or their sponsoring organizations submit a brief application describing their team, their financial need, and how the grant funds will be used. The Board of Directors reviews applications and approves awards based on financial need, geographic diversity, and alignment with the Corporation's mission. Grant funds are disbursed directly to the team's sponsoring school or organization. Grant recipients are required to submit a brief report at the end of the season.
Educational Outcomes
- Eliminates financial barriers that prevent high-need students from participating
- Enables Title I schools to launch and sustain robotics programs
- Provides teams with adequate resources to build competitive robots
- Creates pathways for students from under-resourced communities to access STEM competition experiences
- Supports long-term program sustainability at under-resourced schools
How Funded: Foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, individual donations, and general operating revenue.
10%
Coach & Team Training
Free workshops on robot design, programming, engineering notebooks, and competition strategy — delivered in-person and virtually to coaches and students across Colorado.
What We Do
Elevation Robotics provides training workshops, mentoring, and technical assistance to coaches, mentors, and team members. Training topics include robot and drone design and construction, programming fundamentals, competition strategy, engineering design process documentation (engineering notebooks), judging preparation, and team management. The Corporation also provides one-on-one mentoring to new coaches who are starting robotics or drone programs for the first time.
Who Benefits
Coaches (often classroom teachers with limited robotics experience), parent mentors, and student team members. Training is particularly valuable for new teams and new coaches who are building robotics programs from scratch.
When & Where
Training workshops are offered primarily in the preseason period (July–September) and during the competition season as needed. Online training is available year-round.
How It Works
Training is developed and delivered by the Corporation's directors and experienced volunteer mentors. In-person workshops are held at schools, libraries, or community spaces in the Denver area. Online training is conducted via live video sessions (Zoom or similar platforms) to reach coaches in rural and remote areas of Colorado. All training materials are made available to participants at no charge.
Educational Outcomes
- New coaches gain confidence and competency to lead effective robotics programs
- Teams learn engineering design process skills that apply beyond competition
- Programming workshops develop computational thinking and coding skills
- Engineering notebook training builds academic writing and documentation skills
- Coaches become multipliers, sustainably growing the robotics community in Colorado
How Funded: Training programs are provided at no cost to participants and are funded through the Corporation's general operating budget.
5%
Free Educational Resources
Getting-started guides, build tutorials, programming references, and engineering notebook templates — freely distributed digitally to any team or educator.
What We Do
Elevation Robotics creates and distributes free educational resources to support coaches, teams, and educators. Resources include getting-started guides for new teams, engineering notebook examples and guides, programming tutorials, build guides, competition preparation checklists, and curated resource lists. The Corporation also facilitates a community network where coaches and mentors can share best practices and ask questions.
Who Benefits
All coaches, teams, and educators involved in VEX Robotics or RECF Aerial Drone programs, with particular emphasis on new teams and under-resourced programs throughout Colorado and beyond.
When & Where
Resources are available year-round, distributed primarily through the Corporation's website, email lists, and at competition events and training workshops.
How It Works
Resources are developed by the Corporation's directors and experienced volunteers. All resources are provided free of charge and are made available in digital format for easy distribution. Print copies are provided at events when appropriate.
Educational Outcomes
- New teams access professional-quality guidance at no cost
- Educators gain structured frameworks for integrating robotics into STEM curricula
- Coaches in rural areas access the same resources as well-connected urban programs
- Digital distribution enables unlimited scalability at minimal cost
- Community network reduces isolation for coaches working without local support networks
How Funded: Minimal direct cost; funded through the Corporation's general operating budget.
Want to Get Involved?
Help us bring these programs to more students across Colorado.