Robotics and Technology
Welcome to our Robotics and Technology Program, where students ignite their creativity and work together to solve real-world problems. Our program empowers youth to understand the technology that shapes our world and inspires them to become innovators, not just consumers. Combining guided instruction with hands-on activities, students bring their ideas to life, tackling challenges with coding, engineering, and design using LEGO bricks.
Classes
Participants
The 2024 edition is reserved for 8 nominated students (9-15 years old), but we plan to open the program to all students next year. Interested in the next season? Fill out this form
Schedule
Classes are held at Bel Air every Friday from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, an additional 30 minutes is optional for students to continue working.
Free building sessions will be available based on student availability, allowing families access to the facility on designated days and hours for students to collaborate and progress on their projects.
This program is available starting July 12th. Classes until mid-August are discovery sessions for students to get familiar with the Lego kit equipment. Competition classes will start toward the end of August.
Curriculum
The 2024 edition program will be run around the FIRST LEGO League Challenge, an international competition organized by FIRST for elementary and middle school students. Each year, FIRST LEGO League Challenge teams are introduced to a scientific and real-world challenge for teams to focus and research on.
Our FIRST Team name: Bel Air Robotics (Team number: 65196)
This year’s challenge is SUBMERGED: https://www.first-lego-league.org/en/2024-25-season/the-submerged-season
FIRST LEGO League Challenge Season (August – February)
- Tuesday, August 6th – Season launch
- Wednesday, October 30th – Illinois Qualifier assignments posted
- December 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 – Illinois Qualifying tournaments
- January 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 – Illinois Sectional tournaments
- February 15th (tentative)- Illinois State Championship
STAFF
Miles Aurbeck
Miles is a techno-preneur who is always excited to play with new gadgets – learning about new technologies and figuring out how to program them. He has given private Python programming lessons, written and audited courses on Xbox and robotics programming, and developed educational math games for 4th graders in the classroom. He has taught the courses he wrote and many others at iDTech Summer Camps as well as directed camp activities and the instructors. If he’s not inside playing board games or doing something techy, he’s outside growing food forests or running his small business manufacturing board game tokens.
Antoine Courbot
Holding a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science, Antoine specializes in Artificial intelligence. In his free time, he is developing with Alexandre Truong the next version of SmoothClass, a software that helps teachers run their classes smoothly using digital visual aids.
Andy Hoang
Physics teacher and a lifelong Lego fan, Andy is passionate about engineering, programming, and robotics and has been teaching robotics lessons in schools using Lego since 2015. He is the founder of Beyond Blocks in the UK.
Alexandre Truong
Alexandre has worked in both start-up and corporate environments for 14 years as a software engineer, team lead, manager of an Innovation department, and product manager. He is passionate about creating powerful yet easy-to-use software that positively impacts the environment and society. He is dedicated to helping youth experience “Aha!” moments and develop their creativity and collaboration skills by exposing them to fun and complex challenges.
WHY OUR STEM PROGRAM
Working in silos
Extended Collaboration
We provide opportunities throughout the class for our students to present their ideas, receive feedback, and enhance their creations with each other. Our small group sizes and extended 2-hour (1.5 hr + 30 mins open building) sessions create an environment that fosters a deeper understanding of each lesson and encourages creativity through exploration, experimentation, and collaboration.
No progress indicator and closed-door classes
Goal-Oriented Learning
Our first edition program is designed around the FIRST LEGO League competition, providing our students with clear objectives that motivate them to strive for excellence as they compete against participants from all over the world. By working towards a common goal, students learn the importance of teamwork, perseverance, and strategic thinking. Parents are very welcome to stay and watch the class.
Different and inexperienced teachers
Expert and Passionate Staff
Our team is our greatest asset. Each of our teachers is highly qualified and passionate about mentoring young minds and creating an inspiring learning environment. Their enthusiasm and expertise create an inspiring learning environment where students are encouraged to explore, experiment, and excel.
Pricing
Monthly membership: $150/month (August-Feb). Includes:
- One class/week
- Free building time*
*Free building time: Families have access to the facility during specific days and hours (TBD), allowing students to work together on their projects.
Resources
Introduction to FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge
Teams of children engage in research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering – building and programming a LEGO® robot that navigates the missions of the Robot Game. Teams also participate in an Innovation Project to identify and solve a relevant real-world problem. FIRST LEGO League Challenge is one of three divisions by age group of the FIRST LEGO League program. This program inspires young people to experiment and grow their confidence, critical thinking, and design skills through hands-on STEM learning.
Learn more at https://www.firstlegoleague.org/
Equipment
We have a LEGO Spike Prime set, expansion, and tablet for each pair of students.
- Lego Education Spike Prime
- Lego Education Spike Prime Expansion Set
- Lego Education Spike Prime Resources
Last year’s 2023 challenge
Bel Air is not associated with the LEGO Group. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize, or endorse this site.
