Roatán Robotics
Caribbean Camp
Calibrating instruments
Roatán, Honduras · July 2026

Build robots.Read the reef.Learn both.

A 2-week hands-on robotics and environmental science camp for young makers ages 8–18, set on the Caribbean island of Roatán.
Pioneer rate · $650 · 12 seats
Ages
8 – 18
Dates
Jul 7–18, 2026
Daily
9am – 3pm
Status
Pioneer
Descend
  • PrósperaZEDE · ROATÁN
  • VEXV5
  • Blazar
  • BITCOINDISTRICT
  • PristineACADEMY · ROATÁN
  • ROATÁN MARINEPARK
  • PARTNER · TBA
Mission Brief

The reef is a living laboratory and we teach young makers to build for it.

Roatán Robotics Caribbean Camp runs out of Pristine Academy, on the edge of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Students build sensor stations, deploy them at the Pristine Bay shoreline, and ship one working contribution to coral monitoring science by Day 10.

2nd
Largest Reef · Mesoamerican Barrier

Students work on the second-largest barrier reef on Earth — walking distance from the Pristine Bay campus.

1:8
Lead Instructor · Plus Local TA

One lead instructor and one local teaching assistant for every eight students. Small teams, close attention.

38%
Roatán Reef Coverage

Camp field data contributes to real monitoring efforts on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

1st
V5RC Team in Honduras

Camp graduates who continue form Honduras's first official VEX Robotics Competition team — a year-round program from September through April.

In the field

This is what the workactually looks like.

Real teamsReal reefReal engineering
Approach

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.

The Details

Everything a parent needs to know.

Location
Pristine Academy, Pristine Bay, Roatán, Honduras
Dates
July 7–18, 2026 (Monday–Friday, 9am–3pm daily)
Ages
8–18 years old
Language
English
School
Held at Pristine Academy, a U.S.-accredited K–12 school inside Próspera ZEDE
Instructor Ratio
1 lead instructor + 1 local teaching assistant for every 8 students
Cohort Timeline
Week 1 — Explore & BuildDays 1–5
12345
Week 2 — Apply & DeployDays 6–10
678910
10 days · 2 phases · 1 real project
Curriculum

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

Day 1What is a robot?
FIELD
VEX V5 STEM Lab: System Exploration

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.

Materials
  • VEX V5 kit
  • Engineer notebook
  • Subsystem cards
Day 2Motors & movement
BUILD
VEX V5 STEM Lab: Gear Train

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.

Materials
  • V5 motors
  • Gears
  • Measuring tape
Day 3Sensors & the world
FIELD
VEX V5 STEM Lab: Sensor Data

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.

Materials
  • Optical sensor
  • Temperature probe
  • Field clipboard
Day 4Code & control
CODE
VEXcode V5: Blocks Navigation

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.

Materials
  • VEXcode V5
  • Course tape
  • Controller
Day 5Mini-challenge #1
COMPETITION
VEX V5 STEM Lab: Line Detection Challenge

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.

Materials
  • Line sensor
  • Challenge mat
  • Score sheet

Week 2 Apply & Deploy Days 6–10

Day 6Our island, our problem
DESIGN
VEX V5 STEM Lab: Engineering Design Process

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.

Materials
  • Reef brief
  • Project cards
  • Decision matrix
Day 7Design sprint
DESIGN
VEX V5 STEM Lab: Prototype and Test

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.

Materials
  • Cardboard
  • Markers
  • Build approval sheet
Day 8Build & iterate
BUILD
VEX V5 STEM Lab: Iterative Design

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.

Materials
  • V5 kit
  • Arduino sensors
  • Debug log
Day 9Field test & refine
FIELD
VEX V5 STEM Lab: Field Testing

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.

Materials
  • Field kit
  • Data sheet
  • Repair tools
Day 10Showcase day
SHOWCASE
VEX V5 STEM Lab: Engineering Presentation

Session A: Run final demonstrations for parents, faculty, and community guests.

Session B: Explain the reef question, engineering choices, data collected, and next iteration.

Materials
  • Final robot
  • Presentation board
  • Certificate
Every student leaves withA completed engineering project, a reflection journal documenting their 10-day process, a personalized Engineer's Certificate, and the memory of watching their robot take a water temperature reading in the Caribbean.
Week 2 Challenges

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

Built with help from a purposeful 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.

  • PrósperaZEDE · ROATÁN
  • VEXV5
  • Blazar
  • BITCOINDISTRICT
  • PristineACADEMY · ROATÁN
  • ROATÁN MARINEPARK
  • PARTNER · TBA

Partnerships in active development · 2026 cohort

Pricing

Choose your seat.

Limited Time
Pioneer Seat
$650$750for 2 weeks · early bird

For families who commit early to the 2026 cohort. Locks in your seat at the founding rate.

  • All 10 days of programming (9am–3pm)
  • Hardware, sensors, and consumables
  • 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
Late Bird
Standard Seat
$750for 2 weeks

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
  • Student workbook
  • Field data collection sessions
  • Day 10 Showcase participation
  • Engineer's Certificate

Need-based scholarships are available on request — contact us at support@blazar.lat. Both seats include the same full program.

● Opening September 2026
Competition Track

What graduates build next.

Camp graduates who keep going compete as Honduras's first official V5RC team.