Start a Unified Robotics Team in 7 Steps
Use this checklist to plan with your school and get students building together. Your pace will depend on school arrangements, equipment, and students’ needs.
1. Make a plan with your school
Talk with school leaders and the staff who will support the team. Identify a coach, a place to meet and store equipment, and a practice time. Check your school’s processes for activities, purchasing, transportation, and student participation.
2. Bring students together
Teams include equal numbers of students with and without intellectual disabilities. Four to six students is a typical team size, not a requirement. For example, a four-student team could include two students with intellectual disabilities and two without. Connect with special education teachers and student clubs to find interested students. Give every student opportunities to build, code, drive, and contribute ideas.
3. Plan support and shared responsibilities
Ask students how they want to participate and what helps them learn. Plan communication supports, breaks, accessible workspaces, and adult assistance around their needs. Coaches, mentors, and student partners can teach and encourage while students make decisions and do the work. Every student must have responsible adult supervision throughout an event.
4. Check equipment and build a budget
Inventory what your school already owns before buying. Plan for a VEX IQ robot kit, charging access, a compatible computer or tablet, practice-field access, this season’s game elements, and a way to record learning, such as an engineering notebook. Include transportation, replacement parts, and any confirmed event fees in your planning. Use the equipment links below for current product details and prices. Contact us before ordering if you need help checking what will work.
5. Confirm how to participate
Use “Ask About Starting a Team” to tell us about your school and equipment. This starts a conversation; it does not confirm an event place. Before committing to an event, confirm the registration process, deadline, any fee, and any required forms with the organizer. Check school-specific permission and transportation arrangements with your school.
6. Build and practice together
One practice day each week is a good starting point. Choose a manageable goal, build or code, test what happens, and record what the team learns. Share responsibilities and adapt activities so every student can contribute. Use the sample four-week plan below at your team’s pace.
7. Prepare for your first event
Review the current Unified Robotics game manual and robot inspection requirements. Practice working with another team and sharing the controller. Confirm arrival details, adult supervision, access and support needs, and whether the event includes notebook submission, judging, or optional skills matches. Use the first-event checklist below and check the Events page for opportunities.
What meaningful inclusion looks like
Students with and without intellectual disabilities are teammates. Everyone should have a voice in the team’s choices and meaningful opportunities to design, build, code, drive, and reflect. Ask students what they want to try and what support helps them participate.
These are examples to adapt to your students:
Building: choose a design together, then share assembling, checking connections, and testing. Offer pictures or a demonstration when helpful.
Coding: decide what the robot should do together. One student can choose or arrange commands while another enters or tests them; switch responsibilities as students are ready.
Driving: give students practice with the controller and rehearse a supported handoff. Adjust the pace and cues to each student’s needs.
Decisions and reflection: invite ideas through speech, pointing, pictures, writing, or a student’s usual communication method. Record each student’s contribution and decide the next change together.
Who does what?
Student teammates
Students with and without intellectual disabilities choose goals, make design decisions, build, code, drive, test, and record what they learn. They share responsibilities, listen, and offer support when it helps. Roles can change as interests and skills develop.
Coach
Organize practices and school arrangements, support safety and inclusion, and help students reflect and solve problems. Arrange adult supervision and the support students need at events.
Mentors and supporting adults
When involved, explain skills, model a technique, offer prompts, and help make activities accessible. Leave choices and ownership with the students.
Gather your equipment
Unified Robotics uses VEX IQ robot and game equipment. Before purchasing, check what your school already owns.
Your starting checklist:
VEX IQ robot kit. The VEX IQ Competition Kit includes a Robot Brain, controller, rechargeable robot battery, six motors, sensors, cables, and building parts.
Charging access. Make sure you can charge the robot battery and controller before practices and events.
A compatible computer or tablet. Use VEXcode IQ for coding; check compatibility with your school’s devices.
Practice-field access. The competition uses a 6-by-8-foot VEX IQ field.
This season’s game elements. The 2026–27 Level Up kit contains the game elements. Field tiles and perimeter walls are sold separately.
An engineering notebook. Use a physical notebook or a digital document to record ideas, tests, changes, and everyone’s contributions.
A sample first four weeks
This is an adaptable starting plan once equipment is available, not a required schedule or a promise that a team will be competition-ready in four weeks. Repeat activities and allow more time whenever useful.
Week 1 — Meet the team and explore
Learn what each student wants to try and what helps them participate. Explore the parts and controller together. Choose a small building goal and record everyone’s ideas.
Week 2 — Build and test
Build or improve a simple robot together. Share assembling, checking, and testing. Practice moving and stopping safely. Discuss one change the students want to make.
Week 3 — Try driving and coding
Offer students supported turns with the controller. Explore a short sequence of commands in VEXcode IQ. Compare what students expected with what the robot did, then choose a change to test.
Week 4 — Rehearse and reflect
Practice a game task, teamwork, and the driver handoff. Review the robot inspection requirements together. Let students share what they learned and choose their next goals.
At every practice, allow time for setup, breaks, and cleanup. Use demonstrations, pictures, clear steps, or students’ usual communication supports as helpful. Keep sharing responsibility as students’ interests and confidence develop.
Your first event
Before you go
Confirm your place with the organizer, along with arrival time, location, departure plans, any fees, and required forms.
Ask about accessibility, communication supports, and places to take a break. Discuss support needs in advance.
Confirm whether the event includes judging, notebook submission, or optional skills matches, and ask how each will work.
Review the current Unified Robotics game manual and robot inspection requirements.
Pack your robot, controller, charged batteries, chargers, useful spare parts, and any materials the organizer requested.
Arrange responsible adult supervision for every student throughout the event.
When you arrive
Check in with the organizer and review the day’s schedule. Find your team’s workspace, the competition area, restrooms, and where to ask for help. Confirm inspection arrangements and any support discussed beforehand.
Robot inspection
Follow the organizer’s instructions for inspection. Help students explain their robot and participate in any adjustments. Review the current manual’s robot rules before the event.
Teamwork matches
In Level Up — Unified Edition, two teams work together to score bean bags. Each teamwork match has two minutes of driving, with a pause halfway through to change drivers. Wherever possible, the drivers should be a unified pair, one student with a disability and one without. Coaches, partners, and aides may provide participation support. Ask the referee for help when needed.
Judging and skills
Follow the organizer’s instructions for any judging or notebook submission. Robot Skills Matches are optional, and availability depends on the event. Ask which activities are offered and how students can participate with appropriate support.
After the event
Let each student share a success, something they learned, and something they want to try next. Record the team’s ideas for the next practice.
Coach questions
Read the coach FAQ for answers about starting a team, budgeting, registration, student roles, and participation support.
Ready to get started?
Tell us about your school and what you need to take the next step.