Build robots.Read the reef.Learn both.
The reef is a living laboratory. We teach young makers to read it, build for it, and contribute to it.
Roatan Robotics Caribbean Camp runs out of Pristine Academy — a U.S.-accredited bilingual K–12 school in Pristine Bay, on the edge of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Students don't simulate reef monitoring. They build sensor stations, deploy them at the Pristine Bay shoreline, and collect actual water temperature and light data from Roatán's reef ecosystem. Every team ships one working contribution to coral monitoring science by Day 10.
Students work on the second-largest barrier reef on Earth — walking distance from the Pristine Bay campus.
One lead instructor and one local teaching assistant for every eight students. Small teams, close attention.
Camp field data contributes to real monitoring efforts on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.
Every session, every workbook, every reflection journal — taught in both languages, side by side.
Pristine Bay · 16°18′ N
VEX V5 platform
This is what the work actually looks like.
Where robotics meets the real world.
Real problems. Real tools.
Students don't simulate reef monitoring. They build sensor stations, deploy them at the Pristine Bay shoreline, and collect actual water temperature and light data from Roatán's reef ecosystem.
No lectures. All making.
Every session starts with a challenge, not a slide deck. Inspired by Montessori principles, this camp is built around doing: disassembling, building, debugging, iterating, and presenting.
A program unlike any other.
While other tech camps teach coding in a classroom, this one teaches engineering through one of the world's most extraordinary natural laboratories — the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, right outside the door.
Everything a parent needs to know.
Ten days, in frames.
10 days. 2 phases. 1 real project.
Week 1 builds the foundation: students master motors, sensors, and block-based programming through daily hands-on challenges. Week 2 applies those skills to a student-chosen environmental project, ending with a live showcase for parents and community members on Day 10.
Week 1 Explore & Build Days 1–5
Session A: Reverse engineer a pre-built robot and identify drivetrain, structure, power, and control systems.
Session B: Document how each subsystem works, then rebuild the robot with a team inspection checklist.
- VEX V5 kit
- Engineer notebook
- Subsystem cards
Session A: Build a wheeled drivetrain and compare torque, speed, and stability across gear ratios.
Session B: Run measured trials, record results, and tune the robot for reliable movement.
- V5 motors
- Gears
- Measuring tape
Session A: Connect sensors and learn how raw readings become useful environmental observations.
Session B: Collect shoreline data and compare readings across light, water, and surface conditions.
- Optical sensor
- Temperature probe
- Field clipboard
Session A: Write block-based programs for movement, turns, timing, and sensor-triggered decisions.
Session B: Navigate a taped course using repeatable code instead of manual driving.
- VEXcode V5
- Course tape
- Controller
Session A: Tune a line-following robot through timed testing and sensor threshold adjustments.
Session B: Present design choices and run a scored challenge with peer review.
- Line sensor
- Challenge mat
- Score sheet
Week 2 Apply & Deploy Days 6–10
Session A: Study reef bleaching signals and choose a project track connected to Roatán field data.
Session B: Interview a marine science perspective and translate reef needs into engineering criteria.
- Reef brief
- Project cards
- Decision matrix
Session A: Sketch three solutions, select one, and build a low-fidelity prototype before hardware work.
Session B: Review constraints with instructors and convert the prototype into a build plan.
- Cardboard
- Markers
- Build approval sheet
Session A: Complete the first working version and identify mechanical, sensor, and code failure points.
Session B: Run at least two iteration cycles and document the reason behind each change.
- V5 kit
- Arduino sensors
- Debug log
Session A: Test the project near the water's edge and record performance under real island conditions.
Session B: Refine the build, clean the dataset, and prepare the team's explanation for guests.
- Field kit
- Data sheet
- Repair tools
Session A: Run final demonstrations for parents, faculty, and community guests.
Session B: Explain the reef question, engineering choices, data collected, and next iteration.
- Final robot
- Presentation board
- Certificate
In Week 2, every team picks a challenge.
Four challenges. Each is a real reef problem with a real engineering brief — and inside each, your team picks the variable, the target, the mission. Hover or tap any card to see the brief.
Built with help from a small constellation.
Caribbean Camp doesn't run in isolation. It's built alongside platform makers, conservation organizations, educators, and the local institutions whose ground truth turns a syllabus into a place. The partners below have committed to the inaugural cohort — full role descriptions and announcements follow as each agreement is finalized.
Choose your seat.
For families who commit early to the 2026 pilot cohort. Locks in your seat at the founding rate.
- All 10 days of programming (9am–3pm)
- Hardware, sensors, and consumables
- Bilingual student workbook
- Field data collection sessions
- Day 10 Showcase participation
- Engineer's Certificate
- Pioneer cohort recognition on showcase day
- First priority for Year 2 enrollment
Full program rate after the early bird window closes. Includes the same complete reef robotics experience.
- All 10 days of programming (9am–3pm)
- Hardware, sensors, and consumables
- Bilingual student workbook
- Field data collection sessions
- Day 10 Showcase participation
- Engineer's Certificate
Need-based scholarships are available on request — contact us at hello@roatanrobotics.com. Both seats include the same full program.
Reserve a seat for July 2026.
One cohort. Ten days. Two phases. One real project per team. Pioneer pricing for families who commit early to the 2026 pilot — need-based scholarships available on request, no zip-code rationing.
Reserve Your Seat→