
Kids love robots - we love how they make learning critical skills fun!
Level Up Robots is a hands on robotics learning studio for middle and high school students. We teach kids to build robots that compete with kids from across the state and around the world.
Engineering
gain the confidence to solve challenging problems and prepare for success in the careers of the future
About Level Up Robots
Level Up Robots was created to make learning STEAM approachable, physical and fun for all kids.
Level Up Robots focuses on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) education, which is an integrated way to encourage kids to learn in a way that broadly addresses real-world problems. Level Up Robots inspires students to:
- Ask questions that help define the problem
- Creatively brainstorm solutions
- Build real implementations of crazy ideas
- Compete those implementations against other solutions
- Innovate to improve solutions and compete more effectively
Level Up Robots encourages teams of kids to explore their ideas, build them in the real world, and see how they work with other teams' ideas. They get a chance to consider how they would solve the problems, and get clear feedback on how well those ideas work. Teams will leverage the engineering design process to innovate, test, improve and then start over and do it again.
Learn MoreCOACHING EXPERIENCE
Competitive Robots
Championship appearances
Years of coaching
Awards
Testimonials
Our students have a great time challenging themselves and competing. They learn the value of teamwork, collaborative problem solving and calculated risk. The also learn how to deal with the disappointment of loss. For parents, they see their kids growing in technology, math and engineering skills. And the competitions are a lot of fun for everyone!
Programs
We provide different programs to target the needs of different age groups and different seasons.
Mini Bots
The perfect program for upper level elementary and middle school students with limited robot building experience. Kids in this program will work with Lego® Mindstorms® to build and program an autonomous, mobile robot. This program encourages kids to attend one class per week and a work day. There is even a competition available for students of this age!
Story Missions
A program for older kids who want to get their feet wet with robotics and see how easy and rewarding robotics can be, but don't want to participate in a competitive team. This program includes one class per week.
Competition Levels
The program for young roboticists who want to challenge themselves to build the best solution possible and see how effective it really is. Students in this program are ecouragesd to attend one class per week, and may join as many work days as they like. The competitions are engaging and fun with enough challenge to bring out the best in everyone. This is the program most members belong in.
Boss Level Competition
This is the elite competitive program, to which students must be invited. To get an invitation to this level, students will need to achieve a high level of experience points and demonstrate a strong fundamental understanding of robotics and teamwork. Competition at this level is fully autonomous and includes multiple robots working together.
Master Club
The truly elite students will be invited to join the Master Club. These are the students who not only understand robots and compete effectively, but are also leaders of other students. The will help mentor other students and teams, and grow even more by teaching. These are the future captains of industry, and are focused on both technology and leadership.
Bonus Camps
During summer and other breaks, Level Up Robots will offer a variety of camps focused on helping students improve in STEAM, programming and robotics skills, while having fun.
Get Involved!
Level Up Robots provides a truly one-of-a-kind experience for kids whose parents want them to learn the technology skills of the future. Level Up Robots teaches those skills in an engaging and fun way that keeps kids interested, inspired and learning.
Sign up now!Team
The Level Up Robots team has several years of success leading and coaching robotics teams to succes, and teaching kids robotics, teamwork and leadership skills, at elementary, middle school and high schools levels.

Tom Walton
Head Coach Coach Tom Walton is a professional software developer with 24 years of professional experience. Tom began coaching and mentoring robotics teams nine years ago. He has worked with competitive teams at both the high school and middle school levels, coaching his students to nine robotics team awards, including two Kansas state championships. Tom has been on the organizing committee for the Kansas City Developer Conference for two years and a conference speaker several times over. Students with robotics experience may recognize him as a FIRST Lego League judge and/or head referee.
Jeannie Merritt
Coach Coach Jeannie Merritt is a certified teacher with 20+ years of experience, including five as a robotics coach. She has a passion for experiential learning for all students. Jeannie is entering her sixth year as a robotics mentor.
Jennifer Nigro
Coach Coach Jennifer Nigro has a marketing communications background with experience in engineering, technical, business, agriculture and animal health industries. Jennifer has a passion for STEM and experiential learning, and has been associated with competitive robotics through her children for six years.Frequently Asked Questions
Please check out the frequently asked quetions below, or contact us for more information.
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Why robots?
Robots make a great platform for teaching because their physicality really draws students in. They can experience their ideas with multiple senses. To be successful requires multiple proficiencies, from creative problem solving, to engineering, math and programming.
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Why competitions?
Competitions put a fine point on problem solving and teamwork. The team gets an opportunity to prove their solution against the solutions of others. Competitions are also a great way to learn, not just about the weaknesses of your own team, but also the solutions that other teams have devised. In these competitions, other competitors are also very happy to help teams find ways to improve.
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What will my child learn?
Your child will learn important concepts in engineering, programming, math, problem solving and teamwork.
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Why is STEAM important for kids?
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math are the foundation for solving the world’s greatest problems. We need to encourage the children of today to excel in these topics so they can save the world. And STEAM careers are exciting, fun and pay well while solving those and many other problems.
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How will my child participate in competitions?
Teams will prepare for competitions while they work in the studio. They will study the mechanics of the game and identify strategies. They will build and test their solutions together. They will compete against each other and help each other out, learning to build, program, drive and think through options to improve their solutions. Competitions are also integrated projects, including aspects of math, English and science to meet the challenge. The in-person competitions are typically held on Saturdays throughout the state, as spectators are encouraged to join in the fun. If the team does enough at the state competition, they can also earn their way in the world competition, where they will meet, work with and compete against students from around the globe.
Contact
Level Up Robots opens our studio in Lawrence, KS on 9/6/2022 at Wakarusa and Bob Billings. We will be open for classes on Tuesday and Wednesday evening, and work time on Saturday mornings. Please stop by to visit with us!
Location:
1520 Wakarusa Ste E.
Lawrence, KS 66047
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Tuesday, Wednesday 7pm - 9pm
Saturdays 9am - noon
Email:
leveluprobots@gmail.com
Call:
+1 785 330 5099