# VEX IQ Robotics for Teachers: Hands-on STEM Course in Ptuj > A five-day, hands-on course for primary and lower-secondary teachers: build and program VEX IQ robots, explore AI vision, and bring challenge-based STEM learning back to your school. Source: https://robotech.si/erasmus/vex-iq-robotics-for-teachers-hands-on-stem-course-in-ptuj Language of this page: English Last updated: 2026-10-13 ## Key facts - Type: Erasmus+ KA1 structured course for school education staff (eligible for Erasmus+ KA1 funding; not an accredited programme) - Dates: 26–30 April 2027 - Location: RoboTech STEM Center, Ptuj, Slovenia, Slovenia (RoboTech STEM Center, Čučkova ulica 5, 2250 Ptuj) - Duration: 5 days, 35 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: 26 March 2027 - Payment: no online payment; an invoice is sent to the participant's organisation after the course is confirmed - Organiser: RoboTech, Oliver Buček s.p. (RoboTech STEM Center), Erasmus+ Organisation ID E10436304, VAT ID SI74708805 - Apply: https://robotech.si/erasmus/vex-iq-robotics-for-teachers-hands-on-stem-course-in-ptuj#apply - Contact: info@robotech.si ## Target group Teachers of primary and lower-secondary schools (roughly ages 8–14), STEM, technology and computing teachers, and teachers who want to start or lead a school robotics club. ## Prerequisites No robotics or programming experience is required. Participants need a working knowledge of English (about B1) and their own laptop. ## 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: - Build and program VEX IQ robots and guide students through the same steps. - Use sensors, including the AI vision sensor, to design simple autonomous behaviours. - Plan robotics lessons that support maths, science, technology and computing objectives. - Apply challenge-based and collaborative learning methods and assess student work fairly. - Set up and run a school robotics club and prepare students for friendly competitions. - Create a concrete implementation plan for their own school and share practice with colleagues from other European countries. ## Course themes - VEX IQ in the classroom: The VEX IQ system, building techniques and classroom management with robot kits. - Coding and sensors: From block-based programming to text-based coding in VEXcode IQ, and working with sensors. - AI vision and computational thinking: Introducing AI concepts through the VEX AI vision sensor and age-appropriate activities. - Challenge-based, cross-curricular learning: Designing projects, rubrics and assessment that connect robotics to school subjects. - Teamwork and robotics clubs: Competition formats, team roles, and how to organise a robotics club in your school. - European exchange: Comparing curricula and school practice with teachers from other countries and planning future cooperation. ## Course methodology The course is learning by doing: roughly two thirds of every day are practical work with VEX IQ kits, in pairs and small international groups, and one third is short input, demonstration and discussion. Each block follows the same cycle: try it yourself, reflect with peers, then plan how to adapt it for your own students. Participants receive worksheets, example lessons and project ideas they can use directly, and trainers give individual feedback during practical tasks. Digital tools: VEXcode IQ for programming, and a shared online folder for materials and group work before, during and after the course. ## Programme ### Monday 26 April 2027: Welcome and VEX IQ foundations (09:00–18:00 (lunch 12:30–13:30)) Introductions and tour of RoboTech STEM Center. The VEX IQ system, building a classroom robot, first driving tasks and team challenges. ### Tuesday 27 April 2027: Cultural day: Ptuj and Slovenian schools (09:30–12:30 learning session; 14:00–16:00 guided visit of Ptuj) Public holiday in Slovenia. Morning learning session: robotics and STEM in the Slovenian and other European curricula, and a guided visit of the historic town of Ptuj with informal networking. ### Wednesday 28 April 2027: Programming and sensors (09:00–18:00 (lunch 12:30–13:30)) Block-based programming and a first step into text-based coding in VEXcode IQ. Working with sensors; solving navigation and measurement problems. ### Thursday 29 April 2027: AI vision and challenge-based learning (09:00–18:00 (lunch 12:30–13:30)) Hands-on activities with the AI vision sensor. Designing cross-curricular lessons, rubrics and assessment, and adapting activities for different ages and abilities. ### Friday 30 April 2027: Competitions, implementation and certificates (09:00–18:00 (lunch 12:30–13:30)) VEX IQ competition formats and a friendly mini-tournament. Personal implementation plans for your school, next steps, feedback and certificates. ## Training institution RoboTech STEM Center is a robotics and STEM education centre in Ptuj, Slovenia, run by Oliver Buček s.p. 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. ## 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 school. After the course you keep access to the shared materials and receive suggestions for next steps, such as extra online resources, robotics clubs and competitions you can join, and ideas for presenting the course to colleagues at your school. ## Trainer ### mag. Oliver Buček, VEX robotics expert, RoboTech STEM Center mag. Oliver Buček is an educator and VEX IQ specialist with a master's degree in Pedagogics and a Microsoft Innovative Educator certification. He runs RoboTech STEM Center in Ptuj, Slovenia, where he teaches robotics and STEM and trains teachers to use VEX IQ in the classroom. For 12 years he has been an Erasmus+ project coordinator and has successfully completed more than 10 projects that connect schools across countries. He also organises international VEX IQ competitions and mentors students in STEM. In April 2026 he gave two hands-on workshops at the Education Summit 2026 in Guimarães, Portugal: on AI vision sensors in VEX IQ and on introducing the VEX AIR drone in the classroom. RoboTech hosts the Slovenian Open VEX IQ competition (18 teams from five countries in 2026) and takes part in international VEX competitions, such as the VEX Czech Open in Zlín. Oliver believes in hands-on learning and uses digital tools to make complex ideas accessible. He leads the course in a practical, supportive way, with plenty of time for questions and exchange between participants. ## Frequently asked questions ### Who is this course for? Teachers of primary and lower-secondary schools (roughly ages 8–14), STEM, technology and computing teachers, and teachers who want to start or lead a school robotics club. ### 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. ### 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? 26–30 April 2027 in RoboTech STEM Center, Ptuj, Slovenia, Slovenia: 5 days, 35 hours, taught in English.