What does it take to move after-school robotics from a well-intentioned grant to a durable engine of learning and belonging? This evaluation of the NC Department of Public Instruction’s Educational and Competitive After-School Robotics Grant in Guilford County Schools offers a candid answer. Drawing on mixed methods, coach and mentor interviews, parent surveys, and student records, the report situates robotics not merely as an extracurricular activity but as an institutional strategy to repair pandemic-era academic loss while rebuilding social ties, confidence, and STEM identity.
Two analytic threads run through the findings. First, the “student side”: where teams formed and had access to materials and mentors (including support from NC A&T as the state’s Program Delivery Organization), students reported stronger teamwork, confidence, and interest in STEM. Attendance patterns and parent feedback point in the same direction: when youth find a place to belong and problems worth solving, engagement rises. Second, the “system side”: leadership turnover, late or uneven communication, procurement delays, and transportation barriers (especially in high-poverty schools) throttled implementation, narrowed access, and made it difficult to reach underrepresented students as the grant intended. The academic signal (EOG/EOC gains) is promising yet muted, largely because baseline and pre/post measures were never systematically collected, an evaluability, not efficacy, problem.
The recommendations are refreshingly concrete and, importantly, organizational in nature:
- Make coordination routine. Establish predictable district–coach communication, published calendars, and rapid procurement channels tuned to the robotics season.
- Build capacity, not just kits. Scaffold training for new and advanced coaches (especially coding), and formalize peer learning via monthly Communities of Practice and mentorship.
- Center equity in access. Align recruitment with grant aims, solve after-school transportation, and recognize teams to normalize participation across schools and grade bands.
- Measure what matters. Commit to baseline academic and SEL measures and simple attendance/participation tracking so effects can be seen—and improved—in real time.
- Plan for durability. Pair short-term grants with a sustainability strategy (district funds, industry partners, and university ties) so successful teams outlive the award cycle.
For superintendents, principals, STEM coordinators, and community partners, the lesson is clear: robotics advances learning when institutions align rules, resources, and relationships with what we know about youth motivation and opportunity. Read the full report (linked) for interview insights, parent perspectives, and a practical roadmap to scale what works and fix what doesn’t.
Innovative Research Insights 