NorthShore Robotics, A Louisiana STEM 501c3

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Mandeville, LA
NorthShore Robotics, A Louisiana STEM 501c3

We hope to inspire happy, confident achievers.

The mission of NorthShore Robotics is to encourage and foster a passion for STEAM education in our students and community. We enable our students through exploration of STEAM subjects in the world around us and through lessons in programming, designing, building and application of the engineering process. We encourage a culture of camaraderie, determination, positivity, respect, and the pursuit of

personal and team excellence. Ultimately, our students participate in robotics competition to apply and demonstrate their skills, to lead by example, encouraging the involvement of their peers and furthering the mission of the organization.

08/29/2026

A Big Thank You to Global Robotics & Science Foundation! 🤖💙

We want to give a huge shoutout to the Global Robotics & Science Foundation for supporting us and the robotics community so much this season!

Their generous equipment and event-support discounts are a HUGE help as we work to make competitive robotics accessible to more kids, especially those who may not otherwise have access to opportunities like these.

Every dollar we save on competition fields, game elements, and shipping is another dollar we can put toward reaching more students, building more teams, attending competitions, and creating meaningful, hands-on STEM experiences.

Their partnership has also helped us bring robotics into places and reach students we may not have been able to serve otherwise. We’ll be sharing more about those exciting opportunities soon! 👀

Thank you, Global Robotics & Science Foundation, and Leslie Cruse , for helping us make robotics more accessible. We truly appreciate your support of our teams, coaches, and students. Your belief that every child deserves the opportunity to discover what they can build. 💙🤖

08/26/2026

🤖 WEDNESDAY VEX UPDATE

Did you know you can practice robotics… without a robot? 👀

Meet VEXcode VR.

VEXcode VR lets students program a virtual robot right from a computer. Instead of writing code and downloading it to a physical robot, they can watch their code come to life on-screen in different virtual playgrounds. And this isn’t just playing a game. 👇

Students are practicing the same kind of thinking they use in robotics:
⚙️ Sequencing commands
🧠 Problem-solving
💻 Block-based coding
📐 Distance, angles & movement
🐛 Debugging when the robot absolutely does NOT do what they thought they told it to do 😂

That last part? That’s robotics.

Write the code.
Run it.
Watch your robot completely ignore what you meant.
Figure out what you actually told it.
Fix it.
Try again. 🤣

One of the coolest things about VEXcode VR is that students can keep exploring these skills outside of practice with no robot, field or equipment required.

💻 Want to try it with your student? Head over to VEXcode VR and start experimenting!

08/25/2026

🧠 STEM AT HOME TUESDAY: Can You Code a Human? 🤖

When we hear the word coding, it can sound complicated. But at its core, coding is simply giving a computer a set of instructions to follow.

The catch?
Computers are VERY literal!

A classic way to show kids this is the Peanut Butter & Jelly Challenge. 🥜🍓 Tell your child:
“Give me instructions for making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

Then YOU become the computer.
If they say, “Put the peanut butter on the bread”…
Put the entire jar on top of the loaf. 🤷‍♀️

“Open the bread.”
Rip the bag open somewhere completely ridiculous.

“Spread the jelly.”
Okay…but with what? Where? How much? On which piece of bread?!

The sillier you can be while following their instructions exactly as they gave them, the better.

Then explain:
💻 This is what coding is all about. A computer doesn’t know what you meant. It only knows what you told it to do.

Programmers have to break a big task into smaller, specific steps and put those steps in the correct order. When something doesn’t work, they find the problem, adjust the instructions, and try again. That’s debugging! 🐛

🤖 After you’ve mastered the PB&J, pick a destination somewhere in your house.

Have your child “program” you to get there using ONLY specific commands:
➡️ Take 3 steps forward
↪️ Turn right
➡️ Take 5 steps forward
↩️ Turn left

No helping them when their “code” sends you walking into the couch. 😂 Let them debug their program and try again!

No robot.
No computer.
No fancy STEM kit.

Just a fun way to teach coding, sequencing, logic, problem-solving, and debugging right at home. 🚀

08/24/2026

🎉🤖 IT'S OFFICIAL — WE'RE APPROVED! 🤖🎉

All THREE of our NorthShore Robotics competitions for the 2026–2027 season are officially approved, and we are SO excited to bring competitive robotics to three communities across our region!

👻 October 24 | Mandeville
NorthShore Robotics Spooktacular

💡 December 5 | Hammond
NorthShore Robotics + LaSTEM Region 9 Showcase

📿 February 20 | Franklinton
NorthShore Robotics Beads & Bots Challenge

Three competitions. Three communities. A whole lot of robots. 🤖

Now comes the fun part… we need to build the incredible volunteer teams that make these days possible!

You do NOT need robotics experience to volunteer. From welcoming teams and helping with check-in to queuing, field reset, judging, scorekeeping, refereeing and more, there is a place for everyone!

🙋 Volunteer for one event or all three.
⏰ Morning, afternoon and all-day opportunities are available.
🤖 Want to referee? Free VEX training is available, too!

These competition days are possible because people in our community show up and give their time to make an incredible experience for our kids.

Ready to be part of it?
👉 NorthShoreRobotics.org/events

Let's get this season rolling! 💙⚙️

08/21/2026

🤖💙 SPONSOR SHOUTOUT: Nova Space Solutions! 💙🤖

A huge THANK YOU to Nova Space Solutions for sponsoring a NorthShore Robotics team for the 2026–2027 season!

Team sponsorships do so much more than put robots on a competition field. They give students the opportunity to build, code, problem-solve, compete, and discover what they’re capable of, all while gaining hands-on STEM skills that can open doors to future careers.

Partners like Nova Space Solutions help us continue our mission of Gearing Kids Up for Success with Robotics for All. ⚙️🚀

We’re incredibly grateful to have Nova Space Solutions investing in the next generation of innovators right here in our community. Thank you, for helping us build more than robots, you’re helping us build futures. 💙

08/19/2026

🍎 Louisiana Teachers: this STEM grant is for you!

The Louisiana Transportation Research Center and Bentley Systems are offering $500 grants to help K–12 teachers bring hands-on STEM activities and materials into their classrooms.

🔬 Open to full-time Louisiana classroom teachers
🤖 Science, technology, engineering and math projects
💵 $500 grant awards
📅 Application deadline: October 2, 2026

You’ll need an endorsement letter from a school administrator verifying your employment and supporting your application, so don’t wait until the last minute to ask!

At NorthShore Robotics, we know one meaningful STEM experience can spark a lifelong interest. If you have an idea that could get your students building, experimenting and problem-solving, apply!

Learn more and apply here:
https://www.ltrc.la.gov/trac_rides.html

Tag a Louisiana teacher who needs to see this! 👇

08/05/2026

🤖 VEX WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Who’s Ready to LEVEL UP? ⬆️

Our VEX IQ teams are filling up, we’re launching new teams, and YES — we even have all-girl teams! 💪🤖

Because every kid deserves the opportunity to build, code, compete and discover what they’re capable of.

This year’s VEX IQ game is LEVEL UP, and we can’t think of a better year to help your child level up their skills:
🧠 Problem solving
⚙️ Engineering & design
💻 Coding
🤝 Teamwork
🏆 Competition & confidence

And no previous robotics experience is needed.

Our first competition isn’t until the end of October, so there’s still time to join a team and get competition-ready.

But don’t wait too long…
⏰ Registration closes September 1st!

Girls. Boys. Beginners. Future engineers who don't even know they're future engineers yet. 😉

Come LEVEL UP with NorthShore Robotics!

08/04/2026

🧠 STEM AT HOME

By 3rd and 4th grade, kids are already beginning to form beliefs and biases about what they’re good at, what they enjoy, and even what kinds of careers are “for them.”

That’s why early exposure to STEM matters.

We don’t need every child to grow up to be an engineer. We DO want every child to have the opportunity to discover, “Hey… I’m actually pretty good at this!"

And those opportunities can start right at home. ❤️

🚤 THIS WEEK’S STEM CHALLENGE: Build a Boat!

Give your child:
• One sheet of aluminum foil
• A bowl or tub of water
• Pennies, LEGO pieces or other “cargo”

Build a boat. Add cargo until it sinks. Then ask:
💭 Why did it sink?
💭 What could you change?
💭 Can you redesign it to hold MORE?

That’s engineering: build → test → learn → redesign.

Small experiences today can open doors kids didn't even know existed.

💙 Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.

07/29/2026

🤖 VEX Wednesday Update! 🤖

Last week, our Board President, Dave Shapiro, had the incredible opportunity to visit VEX Headquarters and get an up-close look at the innovation, passion, and teamwork happening behind the scenes.

It was also great to catch up with some familiar faces, including Tyler McCrary, and see firsthand the people who continue to make VEX Robotics such an amazing experience for students around the world.

We're excited about what this season has in store and are proud to be partnering with VEX Robotics and the Global Robotics & Science Foundation to continue creating life-changing STEM opportunities for students across Louisiana.

Here's to another season of innovation, teamwork, and inspiring the next generation of problem-solvers! 🚀💙

07/28/2026

🏠 STEM Doesn't End When Practice Does

Some of the most important STEM learning doesn't happen in a classroom, it happens at home.

Whether your child is building with bricks, programming a robot, fixing something around the house, or simply asking "why?" for the hundredth time today, they're building skills that last a lifetime!

Research shows that children begin forming beliefs about who belongs in STEM at a surprisingly young age. That's why it's so important that every child has opportunities to explore, create, and solve problems: at school, at home, and in their community.

⚙️ Critical Thinking
🤝 Teamwork
💡 Creativity
🔍 Problem Solving
📣 Communication

These aren't just STEM skills - they're workforce skills!

Looking for a fun STEM activity to do together?
Check out the free VEX Robotics Referee Certification!

Parents, grandparents, educators, and community members can complete the training on their own or watch the videos alongside their kids to learn how robotics competitions are scored, what makes a great design, and how engineering challenges are evaluated. You don't have to volunteer to enjoy the learning, but if you decide to help at a future event, you'll already be one step ahead!

👉 You can find the certification and other free VEX learning resources here: https://pd.vex.com

At NorthShore Robotics, we believe the workforce of tomorrow starts with the opportunities we create today. 💙🤖

Address

1 St Ann Drive #2579
Mandeville, LA
70470

Telephone

+19857771812

Website

http://NorthShoreRobotics.org/

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