Thursday, October 1, 2026
Seaford Middle School students are building more than just robots, they’re building coding skills that stretch beyond the classroom.
Eighth graders recently completed a robotics challenge that required them to write code directing their VEX IQ robots to pick up and move cubes all without remote controls.
The hands-free task tested their ability to rely solely on programming to complete a complex series of movements. The challenge is part of the school’s STEM robotics course, a yearlong elective offered to students who want to go beyond the core technology curriculum.
According to technology teacher Gregory Broas, students spent the early part of the year learning basic engineering and coding through kit-built robots and simple driving tasks. The cube challenge marked their first attempt at autonomous motion, using a visual programming language based on Python.
To complete the task, students added mechanical claws to their robots, wrote precise instructions using VEXcode Blocks, and tested their work on a course designed to simulate real-world tasks. The next assignment will add a layer of difficulty, requiring robots to identify and retrieve only cubes of a specific color.
The elective builds on a district-wide computer science foundation. All sixth graders take computer science every other day throughout the year, following New York state’s middle-level standards. Seventh graders continue with daily classes for one quarter.
Seaford also offers additional electives, including Project Lead the Way’s “Computer Science for Innovators and Makers” in sixth grade, and the robotics-based course for eighth graders. The middle school robotics program is part of a broader district-wide effort to expand hands-on STEM education and prepare students for more advanced coursework.
