# Coding and Robotics for the Youngest: VEX 123 and GO for Ages 4–10 > A five-day Erasmus+ course for kindergarten and early primary teachers: introduce coding, sequencing and first robotics to children aged 4 to 10 with VEX 123 and VEX GO, and take ready-to-use activities back to your setting. Source: https://robotech.si/erasmus/coding-and-robotics-for-the-youngest-vex-123-and-go-for-ages-4-10 Language of this page: English Last updated: 2026-10-14 ## Key facts - Type: Erasmus+ KA1 structured course for school education staff (eligible for Erasmus+ KA1 funding; not an accredited programme) - Dates: 19–23 July 2027 - Location: RoboTech STEM Center, Ptuj, Slovenia, Slovenia (RoboTech STEM Center, Čučkova ulica 5, 2250 Ptuj) - Duration: 5 days, 30 hours - Language: English - Group size: maximum 16 participants, course is confirmed once at least 6 have applied (30 days before the start) - Price for Erasmus+ funded participants: 400 EUR per person, VAT included (Erasmus+ course-fee flat rate) - Price for other participants: 490 EUR per person plus 22 % VAT - Application deadline: 18 June 2027 - Payment: no online payment; an invoice is sent to the participant's organisation after the course is confirmed - Organiser: RoboTech, mag. Oliver Buček (RoboTech STEM Center), Erasmus+ Organisation ID E10436304, VAT ID SI74708805 - Apply: https://robotech.si/erasmus/coding-and-robotics-for-the-youngest-vex-123-and-go-for-ages-4-10#apply - Contact: info@robotech.si ## Target group Kindergarten teachers, early primary teachers and class teachers (children aged roughly 4–10), teaching assistants, and anyone who wants to bring first coding and robotics activities to the youngest learners. ## Prerequisites No robotics or programming experience is required. Participants need a working knowledge of English (about B1) and their own laptop or tablet. ## Application and selection Places are allocated in the order in which complete applications are received (first come, first served). There is no separate selection test. We confirm receipt of your application by e-mail and reply within a few working days. When all places are taken, applications close automatically. The course is confirmed 30 days before the start, once at least 6 participants have applied. Until then you can cancel free of charge. ## Learning outcomes After the course participants can: - Explain how play-based robotics supports early maths, language, science and social skills. - Use VEX 123 and VEX GO to run short, safe and engaging coding and building activities with children aged 4 to 10. - Introduce sequencing, loops, conditions and debugging, first without a screen and then with VEXcode 123 and VEXcode GO. - Plan cross-curricular lessons and story-based projects, and adapt them for different ages, abilities and special educational needs. - Observe and assess young learners with simple checklists, photos and portfolios. - Create a concrete implementation plan for their own kindergarten or school and share practice with colleagues from other European countries. ## Course themes - Play-based coding: Sequencing, loops and debugging through play, stories and tangible programming. - VEX 123: The 123 robot, cards, tiles and Coder for children aged 4 to 8, with and without a screen. - VEX GO: Building, simple machines, sensors and block-based coding for ages 6 to 10. - Cross-curricular projects: Stories, measurement and design tasks that link robotics to maths, language and science. - Assessment and inclusion: Observation, portfolios and adapting activities to different ages, abilities and needs. - European exchange: Comparing early years and primary practice with teachers from other countries. ## Course methodology The course is learning by doing: roughly two thirds of every day are practical work with VEX 123 and VEX GO kits, in pairs and small international groups, and one third is short input, demonstration and discussion. Participants first take the role of the child, then the role of the teacher: try an activity, reflect with peers, then plan how to adapt it for their own group. They receive activity cards, example lessons and observation sheets they can use directly, and trainers give individual feedback during practical tasks. Digital tools: VEXcode 123 and VEXcode GO for programming, and a shared online folder for materials and group work before, during and after the course. ## Programme ### Monday 19 July 2027: Welcome, play-based learning and VEX 123 (09:00–16:00 (lunch 12:30–13:30)) Introductions and tour of RoboTech STEM Center. Why robots work for the youngest learners: play, curiosity and first steps in sequencing. Hands-on with VEX 123: the robot, the cards and tiles, first coding without a screen and the first challenges in the classroom field. ### Tuesday 20 July 2027: Coding with VEX 123 and VEXcode 123 (09:00–16:00 (lunch 12:30–13:30)) From tangible coding to screen coding: programming 123 with the Coder, then with the simple block-based environment of VEXcode 123. Story-based tasks, sequences, loops and debugging; how to plan a 20 to 30 minute robot activity for a group of 4 to 7 year olds, and how to manage the kits in a busy classroom. ### Wednesday 21 July 2027: Building and moving with VEX GO (09:00–16:00 (lunch 12:30–13:30)) Building with VEX GO: structures, simple machines and mechanisms with a clear design goal. First driving and moving tasks, measuring, estimating and comparing; linking the building to maths, science and language objectives for ages 6 to 10. ### Thursday 22 July 2027: Coding and STEM projects with VEXcode GO (09:00–16:00 (lunch 12:30–13:30)) Programming GO robots and sensors in VEXcode GO: blocks, loops, conditions and simple data. Cross-curricular projects: a robot that tells a story, a measurement challenge and a team design task. Adapting the same activity for different ages, abilities and special educational needs. ### Friday 23 July 2027: Assessment, implementation plans and certificates (09:00–16:00 (lunch 12:30–13:30)) Observing and assessing young learners: checklists, photos, portfolios and feedback that suits early years and early primary education. Each participant presents an activity from the week and prepares a personal implementation plan for their kindergarten or school. Evaluation, next steps, plans for future cooperation and certificates. ## Training institution RoboTech STEM Center is a robotics and STEM education centre in Ptuj, Slovenia, run by mag. Oliver Buček. The centre offers robotics courses, holiday camps and workshops for children, and training for teachers and kindergarten teachers. It is a certified VEX robotics centre and a member of EdTech Slovenia. Teacher workshops in VEX 123, VEX AIM, VEX GO and VEX IQ run regularly for Slovenian schools; this course brings the same practical approach to an international group. ## Cancellation and changes Cancellation by you: you can cancel free of charge until the course is confirmed, 30 days before the start. After confirmation we send an invoice. Your organisation can replace a participant free of charge if we are informed in advance. Changes by us: if the fee, content, dates, location or schedule change significantly, you can cancel at no extra cost with reasonable notice. If the course does not take place (for example, because the minimum number of participants is not reached) we inform you at the latest 30 days before the start and you pay nothing; any fee already paid is refunded in full. Force majeure: in case of events beyond anyone's control, such as natural disasters or serious transport disruption, we agree on a new date or refund the fee for the part of the course that did not take place. Travel costs are covered by your own travel insurance. ## Venue and access RoboTech STEM Center, Čučkova ulica 5, 2250 Ptuj, Slovenia. Free parking is available in front of the centre. Ptuj is about 1.5 h by car from Ljubljana and 1.5–2 h from Zagreb and Graz. Participants arrange their own accommodation and travel; Ptuj has a range of hotels and guesthouses, and we are happy to answer practical questions. The centre is accessible to participants with reduced mobility: there is a lift to the training room and a toilet at the centre. Please tell us in the application form about any further needs so that we can prepare the venue and the programme. ## About Ptuj Ptuj is the oldest recorded town in Slovenia. It lies on the river Drava in the north-east of the country, in a wine-growing region close to the Croatian border. The Romans founded Poetovio here, and the old town still has a medieval character: narrow streets, a castle above the river and a compact historic centre that is easy to explore on foot. Worth seeing in the evenings and between sessions: Ptuj Castle with its museum collections, the Orpheus Monument, the town tower and the main square, the Dominican monastery, and the Ptuj wine cellar, one of the oldest in Slovenia. Local food and wine from the Haloze and Slovenske gorice hills are a good reason to stay for dinner. Ptuj is also known for Kurentovanje, its traditional carnival, which takes place in February. Getting here: Ptuj has a railway station and a bus station within walking distance of the centre. Maribor is about 30 km away, Graz about 100 km, Zagreb about 100 km and Ljubljana about 130 km. The nearest international airports are Graz, Zagreb and Ljubljana. We are happy to help with directions and with choosing accommodation. ## Certificate Every participant receives a certificate of attendance with their name, a short description of the course and its learning outcomes, dates, venue, the name of the training provider and of the trainer. The learning outcomes are written so that the certificate can be used together with Europass. ## After the course On the last day each participant prepares a personal implementation plan for their kindergarten or school. After the course you keep access to the shared materials and receive suggestions for next steps, such as extra activity ideas, ways to start a robotics corner and ways to present the course to colleagues. ## Trainer ### mag. Oliver Buček, VEX robotics expert, RoboTech STEM Center mag. Oliver Buček is a Certified VEX Educator, VEX IQ specialist and international conference speaker. He holds a master's degree in Pedagogics, is a Microsoft Innovative Educator, and leads RoboTech STEM Center in Ptuj, Slovenia, where he teaches robotics and STEM and trains teachers to bring VEX IQ into their classrooms. For twelve years he has coordinated Erasmus+ projects and has completed more than ten that connect schools across Europe. He presents at education conferences in Slovenia and abroad, including in Portugal, Spain, Estonia, Finland and Croatia. Most recently, at the Education Summit 2026 in Guimarães, Portugal, he led two hands-on workshops in April 2026: one on AI vision sensors in VEX IQ and one on introducing the VEX AIR drone in the classroom. He organises international VEX IQ competitions and mentors students in STEM. In 2024 he received the Inženirska iskra (Engineering Spark) Award for his dedicated mentoring of young people and outstanding promotion of VEX robotics in Slovenia and abroad. Three times he has travelled to the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, USA, as coach and mentor of Slovenian teams. Oliver believes in learning by doing and uses digital tools to make complex ideas accessible. He leads the course in a practical and supportive style, leaving plenty of room for questions and for exchange between participants. ## Frequently asked questions ### Who is this course for? Kindergarten teachers, early primary teachers and class teachers (children aged roughly 4–10), teaching assistants, and anyone who wants to bring first coding and robotics activities to the youngest learners. ### Do I need robotics or programming experience? No robotics or programming experience is required. Participants need a working knowledge of English (about B1) and their own laptop or tablet. ### Is the course eligible for Erasmus+ KA1 funding? Yes. The course is eligible for Erasmus+ KA1 funding for school education staff. Your organisation applies for the grant through its Erasmus+ National Agency, and we describe the course according to the Erasmus+ KA1 course quality standards. RoboTech's Erasmus+ Organisation ID is E10436304. The course is not an accredited programme. ### How much does the course cost? Participants funded by Erasmus+ pay the Erasmus+ course-fee flat rate of 400 € per person, VAT included; other participants pay 490 € + 22 % VAT per person for the whole 5-day course. ### How are places allocated? Places are allocated in the order in which complete applications are received (first come, first served). There is no separate selection test. We confirm receipt of your application by e-mail and reply within a few working days. When all places are taken, applications close automatically. ### How do I apply and pay? Fill in the application form on this page for yourself or a group from your organisation. There is no online payment: after the course is confirmed (30 days before the start, once at least 6 participants have applied) we send an invoice to your organisation. ### What is the cancellation policy? Cancellation by you: you can cancel free of charge until the course is confirmed, 30 days before the start. After confirmation we send an invoice. Your organisation can replace a participant free of charge if we are informed in advance. ### Where is the course held and how do I get there? RoboTech STEM Center, Čučkova ulica 5, 2250 Ptuj, Slovenia. Free parking is available in front of the centre. Ptuj is about 1.5 h by car from Ljubljana and 1.5–2 h from Zagreb and Graz. Participants arrange their own accommodation and travel; Ptuj has a range of hotels and guesthouses, and we are happy to answer practical questions. The centre is accessible to participants with reduced mobility: there is a lift to the training room and a toilet at the centre. Please tell us in the application form about any further needs so that we can prepare the venue and the programme. ### Which certificate do I receive? Every participant receives a certificate of attendance with their name, a short description of the course and its learning outcomes, dates, venue, the name of the training provider and of the trainer. The learning outcomes are written so that the certificate can be used together with Europass. ### When is the course and how long is it? 19–23 July 2027 in RoboTech STEM Center, Ptuj, Slovenia, Slovenia: 5 days, 30 hours, taught in English.