Bountiful STEM Educational Foundation
VEX Robotics
Utah STEM Action CenterBuild it
Explore VEX parts, build a drivetrain, learn how gears and wheels work, then test, rebuild and drive an obstacle course.
STEAME · Utah · Season 3
Robots, AI and code. After school, for free.
Free, hands-on robotics, coding and AI classes for refugee and low-income kids in Utah, with real mentors and certificates.
Registration is open · only 30 spots
Powered by Bountiful STEM Educational Foundation & VEX Robotics · Sponsored by Utah STEM Action Center
Season 3 at a glance
Tuesdays, 3–4 PMSept 1 – Nov 24, 2026 · 12 weeks
Hartland Partnership Center1578 W 1700 S, Salt Lake City
Ages 8–14No experience needed · only 30 spots
FreeLaptops and VEX robot kits provided
200refugee youth
by the end of 2027
by the end of 2027
Why this class exists
Help us reach 200 refugee youth by the end of 2027.
We want to reach more kids and offer them opportunities that keep them out of trouble and anxiously engaged in a good cause. That's why our free Robotics and AI classes exist.
The 12-week curriculum · Powered by VEX
Build it. Code it. Make it smart.
Kids go from opening their first VEX kit to coding robots that sense the world and learning how AI works. Every session is hands-on.
Code it
First programs in block code, then loops and if-then logic, sensors for bumps, colors and distance, and a mission with no controller.
Think smart
How computers learn from examples, training a simple model to recognize pictures or sounds, and using AI fairly and safely.
Show it
Teams present their robots to families, celebrate graduation and receive their certificates.
See the week-by-week plan
- Week 1Build itMeet your robotForm teams, learn lab safety, explore VEX parts and take a test drive.
- Week 2Build itBuild the baseAssemble a drivetrain and learn how gears and wheels work.
- Week 3Build itEngineer it betterTest, find what breaks and rebuild stronger.
- Week 4Build itDrive the courseSteer an obstacle course. Roles: builder, driver, coder, captain.
- Week 5Code itBlock coding basicsFirst programs in VEXcode blocks and VEXcode VR.
- Week 6Code itLoops and logicLoops and if-then decisions: a square, a zigzag, a robot dance.
- Week 7Code itRobots that senseSensors for bumps, colors and distance.
- Week 8Code itAutonomous missionFinish a course with no controller.
- Week 9Think smartWhat is AI?How computers learn from examples, and AI in everyday life.
- Week 10Think smartTeach a computerTrain a simple model to recognize pictures or sounds.
- Week 11Think smartSmart robots, smart choicesCombine coding, sensors and AI; use AI fairly and safely; plan a final project.
- Week 12Show itShowcase and graduationPresent to families and receive your certificate.
Curriculum approved by STEM instructor Seth Ogoe Ayim and Bountiful STEM Educational Foundation.
Why it matters
More than robots. Skills for life.
What your child takes home after 12 weeks.
Confidence
Kids present their own robots to a room full of families.
Problem solving
Test, find what breaks, rebuild stronger. Real engineering habits.
Teamwork
Builder, driver, coder, captain: every child has a role.
Future-ready skills
Coding, sensors and AI basics, the skills behind tomorrow's jobs.
Mentors who care
Local instructors, volunteers and guests from BYU, UVU and the U.
A certificate to be proud of
Graduation day with family, and it's all free.
Inside the classroom · Season 3
Build it. Code it. Show it.
Teams build VEX robots with volunteer mentors, then present what they made.
Our graduates · 2025/2026
Meet our proud graduates.
2025/2026Provo
Utah Valley Refugee graduates
2025/2026Salt Lake City
Hartland Partnership Center graduates
Summer bootcamp4 weeks · Robotics, coding & AI
Summer bootcamp graduates
50+
robotics classes taught
150+
students from refugee centers and Title 1 schools
200
refugee youth served by the end of 2027: our goal
Meet your instructors
Learn from people who do this.
Seth Ogoe AyimSTEM instructor ·
Godwill TandohLead instructor ·
Guest instructorsFrom BYU, UVU and the U
Help Season 3 succeed. We need $3,000 in robotics equipment so every student has a kit. We already have 20 laptops from Bountiful STEM.
Registration open · Only 30 spots
Save a spot.
Classes are free, and there are only 30 spots. A parent or guardian signs up students under 18.
- Hartland Partnership Center · Salt Lake City
- Utah Valley Refugees · Provo
- Laptops and robot kits provided in class
You're signed up!
Thank you. We'll email you the class schedule and location soon.
More classes for older students: IT Essentials and beyond
IT Essentials for Everyone: 12 weeks of computer systems and networking, with Cisco IT Essentials certificate prep. Choose it on the sign-up form.
- Coding academy
- VEX competitions and challenges
- AI for everyone
- Computer hardware repair and networking
- Advanced IT: networks, cybersecurity and systems
- Multimedia design and graphics
- Career workshops: résumés, interviews and job prep
STEAME beyond Utah · Ghana & Kenya
The same dream, across the ocean.
STEAME means Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math and Entrepreneurship. At our partner schools in Africa, it starts with computer labs and trained teachers.
