Competitive Robotics Through FIRST
Charleston Dragon Robotics offers educational and competitive robotics to K-12 students from all backgrounds. Our middle school and high school students participate in First Lego League Challenge and First Tech Challenge, both of which are programs run under the direction of FIRST, Inc. Our elementary teams will be using an in-house devised program, based on FIRST’s FLL Explore, but designed to better prepare our students for FLL Challenge. The robotics season begins in August and wraps up in the early spring depending on how far a specific team advances.
The Charleston Dragon Robotics Difference
As a community-based organization, Charleston Dragon Robotics is open to students from all educational backgrounds. We serve students in public, private, charter and home schools. There is no experience required for students to apply to teams. CDR teams are coached by trained volunteers and overseen by experienced head coaches.
We’re officially kicking off an exciting season of building, competing, and learning at CDR, and we can always use your support. While this helps cover our essential operations, our biggest goal this season is securing a permanent CDR location.
Imagine: A dedicated, year-round space where our students can work, collaborate, store vital equipment, and build a truly cohesive community. This isn’t just a place to build; it’s a place to grow talent and foster a lifelong passion for STEM.
Your financial support makes this dream a reality. Click the link below to help us secure our permanent home and empower our students!
Support CDR!
(just make sure you zero out the extra donation part at the bottom. You don’t need to donate to Zeffy, just CDR!)
Dragon Bytes
Dragon Bytes teams introduce, K-4th grade students to STEM in a fun and challenging environment. Students meet for twelve weeks. Four weeks are spent on core values, four weeks on coding skills using either a LEGO Spike Essential or a LEGO Spike Prime and four weeks on LEGO build based on the season’s theme. These students will also be introduced to basic research skills that will follow along with the theme. Dragon Bytes teams are grouped in similar age groups and kept small so that coaches and mentors can offer focused guidance and support. Dragon Bytes season concludes with a fun showcase where students get to demonstrate all they have learned.
FLL Challenge
FIRST LEGO League introduces fifth to eighth grade students to STEM through fun, exciting hands-on learning. Participants gain real-world problem-solving experiences through a guided, global robotics program, helping today’s students and teachers build a better future together. FIRST LEGO League’s three divisions (robot, innovation project and core values) inspire youth to experiment and grow their critical thinking, coding, and design skills through hands-on STEM learning and robotics.
FIRST Tech Challenge
FIRST Tech Challenge students (9th-12th grades) learn to think like engineers. Teams design, build, and program robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. Robots are built from a reusable platform, powered by android technology, and are programmed in Java using advanced development environments and industry standard best practices.
Apply to Join an Award Winning Competitive Team Today
Team registration opens to existing students in March of each year. Remaining spots open to the public in April or May. Team selection is finalized by the end of July.
Charleston Dragon Robotics limits the number of students per team to give each student the best opportunity to learn and grow. Students go thru an application process to determine team eligibility. Not all students who apply may make it on a team each year. Students who do not receive a team placement are encouraged to re-apply the following season.
Summer Camps
Dragons Academy Summer camps offer both new and returning students a deep dive into what robotics is in a small group setting. Students work with instructors and mentors to learn how to build and program robots. For returning students, camp offers the chance to try to master new skills in preparation for the robotics season. For new students, camp is the perfect, fun way to learn more about robotics. This year, camps are being offered in July. Camps are offered to Elementary (rising K-4th grades), Beginner Middle School (rising 4th-8th grade with less than 1 year experience) and Advanced Middle School (rising 5th-8th grades with at least 1 year of FLL Challenge experience or attended a previous Dragons Academy beginner camp).
