Since 2017, CoderZ has been providing students and educators with virtual coding competitions that provide the opportunity to build STEM-related skills. Now it has opened registration for its all-new CoderZ League: the Virtual Cyber Robotics Competition (formerly the Cyber Robotics Coding Competition or CRCC). This cloud-based robotics tournament expands the scope of its predecessor, engaging students in grades four through 12 in STEM, coding and tech literacy.
“Whether schools engage in face-to-face learning, continue remote learning or use a combination of both, CoderZ League promises teachers and their students an exciting competition experience,” said Trevor Pope, CoderZ Success Manager at CoderZ. Teams of students will perform tournament missions using virtual 3D robots and compete within their team, class, school, district and state to win tournament stages and progress to the finals.
CoderZ League includes two levels – Junior and Pro – to accommodate a broader range of students. CoderZ League Junior is designed for beginning coders, schools new to the competition, and students in grades five through eight. Competitors at this level use the programming language Blockly. CoderZ League Pro is for students in grades seven through 12. At this level, students can program in Blockly or Python.
Although Junior and Pro are intended for specific grade ranges, students at any grade level can participate in either league. In fact, teachers can register their school or class for the two leagues and work with their students to choose the best league.
“One of the best things about CoderZ League and its CRCC predecessor is that neither students nor teachers need to have background knowledge, and teachers from any discipline can participate,” said Pope. “Because CoderZ League is cloud-based and available on any device, students can participate at anytime, anywhere.”
Educators can register for the tournament during the next couple of months, and they will be able to activate their league accounts on August 23. Starting on September 1, they will be able to explore the CoderZ Cyber Robotics Learning Environment. Teachers can attend orientation and best practices webinars on September 17 and 24.
The competition officially begins with an opening round on October 19. Students take part in practice missions that guide them through the platform and introduce them to programming, mechanics and physics. In November, they will move to Phase I of the tournament where they will solve the virtual challenges and earn points. Later that month, students will enter Phase II where the missions become more complicated, and the top-scoring teams receive an invite to participate in the finals. The finals will take place virtually in December.
The cost for registering a team of up to five students is $90. Educators can also register a class of up to 30 students for $345 and a school of up to 240 students for $745. Title I schools in the United States are eligible for sponsorships.
“We’ve also created special registration-course bundles for students who want to build their skills before the opening round,” said Pope. “And if there are elementary students who are just not ready to compete this year, their teachers can opt for our fun introductory course, CoderZ Adventure, through the registration page. Older students who want to learn Python before competing can check out our Python Gym course.”
For more information on the CoderZ League tournament, registration bundles and CoderZ Adventure offers, go to https://coderzleague.com.
