Robotics is back at Bountiful Elementary for the 2026–2027 school year—with two different programs for students in 4th–6th grade forming a pathway for students to learn and grow. We are also excited to announce Mrs. Davis is joining Mrs. Edwards as a robotics coach.
As our school focuses on Make It Matter, robotics gives students a chance to put that idea into practice. Every design choice matters. Every line of code matters. Every teammate matters. And sometimes the mistake that sends a team back to the drawing board ends up mattering most of all.
Both programs will use VEX IQ robotics kits and play the VEX Robotics game, Level Up. Students will design, build, code, test, problem-solve, communicate, and work as a team—but the two programs provide different levels of instruction, feedback, and independence as students develop their skills.
Two Programs. One Robotics Pathway.
Davis Robotics League | 4th & 5th Grade
The Davis Robotics League is new for 2026–2027 and is designed specifically for elementary students within Davis School District. The league creates a developmental environment where students can learn the fundamentals of competitive robotics while coaches actively teach, guide, and provide feedback along the way.
Students will work in teams to build, program, drive, develop strategy, test ideas, and improve their robots while developing critical thinking and problem-solving growth through feedback.
The league will use a modified version of the VEX IQ game, Level Up, so students will encounter many of the same engineering, programming, and strategy concepts used in more advanced competitive robotics. However, the competition style and award structure is designed to support Utah's Durable Skills Framework, focusing on adaptability, collaboration, communication, innovation, leadership, and professionalism.
Teams will participate in three developmental competition sessions with other Davis School District elementary schools, giving students opportunities to compete, receive feedback, make adjustments, and continue improving before a district championship in April.
VEX IQ Competition | 6th Grade
Our VEX IQ Competition program is open to 6th-grade students and provides the formal competitive robotics experience Bountiful Elementary has historically participated in.
Teams will design, build, program, test, strategize, and continually improve their robots while competing at official VEX Robotics events in conjunction with the newly formed Global Robotics & Science Foundation. These teams will be held to developing policies which govern the rules for participation within the VEX competition structure.
The Student-Centered Policy sets the standard for work that belongs to the students.
The Code of Conduct says how everyone is expected to behave.
The Youth Protection Policy sets the rules for adults and the protections every student can count on.
VEX IQ places a high level of responsibility in students' hands. Coaches and adults have defined limits on how they can assist, and teams are expected to take full ownership of their robot, programming, engineering decisions, strategy, troubleshooting, teamwork, and competition preparation.
Previous robotics experience is not required.
First-time 6th-grade robotics students are absolutely encouraged to apply. We are not looking for students who already know how to build the perfect robot or write the perfect program. We are looking for students who are curious, willing to learn, able to work with others, and prepared to stick with a problem when the first solution does not work.
Competitions are generally held on Saturdays during January and February at schools throughout the area. Teams that qualify may advance to a state championship in March.
The Difference Is in How Students Learn
Both programs are student-centered. The robots belong in the students' hands, and students make the engineering, programming, strategy, and problem-solving decisions for their teams.
The level of adult support is intentionally different.
In the Davis Robotics League, coaches have more flexibility to explicitly teach skills, give students feedback, help them reflect, and guide them through the process of becoming an effective robotics team member.
In VEX IQ, students are expected to apply those skills independently with reduced coaching to protect fair competition. Increased expectations create an environment where they can take appropriate risks, learn through productive struggle, collaborate across differences, and grow as engineers and problem-solvers.
Together, the programs create a pathway:
4th & 5th Grade → Learn, practice, receive feedback, and build strong robotics and durable-skill foundations
6th Grade → Continue developing and applying those skills with greater independence through VEX IQ competition
Students will not always get it right the first time in either program—and that is part of robotics.
A design may fail. Code may not behave as expected. A strategy may fall apart during a match. Teammates may disagree. What students learn to do next matters.
Important Dates & Details
Applications Available: Friday, August 21
Applications Due: Friday, September 4
Applications must be returned to Mrs. Edwards in the Orange Hall Computer Science Lab, Room 2100.
Late applications will not be considered.
Tryouts & Interviews:
Davis Robotics League: Thursday, September 10
VEX IQ: Friday, September 11
Teams Announced: Friday, September 18
Parent Meetings: Tuesday, September 22
Practices Begin: Week of September 29
A detailed season schedule, competition dates, and program-specific expectations will be shared with selected families at the parent meetings. Because robotics is a team activity, regular attendance matters. Every student has a role to play, and teammates depend on one another to be present, prepared, and willing to contribute.
There are a limited number of robotics spots available. Students who participated on a robotics team previously must apply and complete the selection process each year.
Submitting an application and participating in tryouts does not guarantee placement on a team. Students are selected based on building balanced teams which set everyone up for success, including their ability to collaborate, communicate, problem-solve, persist through challenges, learn from feedback, and contribute as a teammate.
In robotics, being a great teammate matters just as much as building a great robot or writing amazing code.
Program Fee & Family Participation
A $50 program fee applies to students selected for either robotics program. Cost should not prevent an interested student from applying. Fee waivers are available and families who need assistance with the fee are encouraged to reach out so we can help.
Students should decide whether to apply based on their interest in robotics—not their family's ability to pay the program fee.
Families of participating students will also be asked to complete two service hours during the season to help support the robotics program. There are many ways to help, and no robotics experience is required.
More Than Building Robots
Competitive robotics looks exciting from the outside—and it is—but the robot is only part of what students are learning.
Students encounter designs that do not work, code that does not behave as expected, strategies that need to change, and ideas their teammates may not agree with.
They learn to test. Revise. Communicate. Listen. Divide responsibilities. Respond to feedback. Solve problems. Try again.
They also learn that the small things matter: listening to a teammate, noticing one unexpected robot movement, changing a single piece of code, asking a better question, or choosing to keep going when something is difficult.
We are excited to begin another year of Bobcat Robotics and to give students multiple ways to grow as engineers, programmers, problem-solvers, and teammates.