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Keep Your Classroom Rolling Forward: Everything You Need to Know About the BOLT+ Upgrade Program

If your supply closet is home to a few well-loved Sphero robots, we've got great news! Those old robots still have one more job to do: helping you upgrade to the latest tech.

Sphero's BOLT+ Upgrade Program lets you trade in eligible robots and Power Packs for serious savings on our most advanced round robot yet. No need to explain why the plastic looks a little worse for wear, either. Whether your robots are old, scuffed, or completely out of commission, they still count.

Let's break down why this program exists, why upgrading is worth it, and exactly how to get it done before the clock runs out.

What is the purpose of the BOLT+ upgrade program?

Robots, like phones and laptops, don't stay cutting-edge forever. Sphero 2.0, SPRK Edition, SPRK+, and the original BOLT were fantastic tools. But technology moves fast, and BOLT+ was built to keep pace with the students in your classroom.

Here's the thing: schools shouldn't have to choose between modernizing their tech and staying within budget. That's the whole point of this program. Instead of starting from scratch, you can put your existing Sphero investment to work. Trade in what you have, and let it contribute to what's next.

Here's what qualifies:

  • Individual robots (Sphero 2.0, SPRK Edition, SPRK+, or BOLT): $55 each toward a new BOLT+, regardless of age or condition

  • Power Packs (SPRK+ or BOLT): $1,000 each toward a new BOLT+ Power Pack, regardless of age or condition

Sphero even covers return shipping and responsibly recycles the robots you send back. Your supply closet will thank you, and so will your budget.

Why upgrade to BOLT+?

BOLT+ isn't a totally different robot that makes you start from scratch. It builds on the same coding experience, classroom routines, and hands-on learning your students love, while adding upgrades that make teaching (and troubleshooting) a whole lot smoother.

Less time managing robots, more time teaching

Using robots in the classroom is awesome, but comes with many challenges. BOLT+ tackles them head-on with wireless charging, Shake to Wake, and all-day battery life that holds up through even your busiest schedule and will extend for many more years to come. Add in a durable, waterproof shell and simplified robot ID matching in the Sphero Edu app, and classroom management gets a lot less complicated.

New ways to create and code

BOLT+’s 128x128 pixel LCD screen opens up a world of possibilities with hundreds of images and animations for students to use in their projects. Combine that with new programming blocks like Roll to Distance, Drive While Programming, and event-based triggers for in-app buttons, light, distance, and time, and students get more room to experiment, problem-solve, and build interactive programs.

A learning curve that isn't really a curve at all

Every BOLT lesson you and your students already love, including Computer Science Foundations, works with BOLT+. On top of that, you'll find new standards-aligned lessons across computer science, science, language arts, engineering design, and more in Sphero Central.

Building blocks for AI literacy

Through coding and debugging with BOLT+, students naturally build foundational AI literacy skills, including algorithms, pattern recognition, logic, and conditional reasoning. Dedicated AI literacy lessons take those concepts further, giving students hands-on opportunities to explore how AI works and how it can be used responsibly. It’s a practical way to demystify AI while helping students understand the technology they’re already encountering.

Don't just take our word for it. As Laurie G. from the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative Educational Services puts it: "I started with one Sphero SPRK robot nine years ago and now use BOLT+ for their ease, engagement, and versatility. We've created mazes, boats, and even Winter Olympic games, integrating BOLT+ into reading, math, and coding while fostering creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy."

How to upgrade

Ready to make the trade? Here's the whole process, start to finish:

  1. Tell us what you have. Fill out the upgrade form with the robots or Power Packs you're trading in.

  2. Send it our way. Within one business day, you'll get a prepaid UPS return label and shipping instructions.

  3. Get your discount. Once your robots arrive at our warehouse, we'll send a code you can redeem on sphero.com or apply toward a purchase order.

Need a quote for your school or district instead? That's easy too. Request a quote and we'll calculate your trade-in credit for you.

Mark these dates so nothing slips through the cracks:

  • December 15: Last day to submit your upgrade form

  • December 16: Last day to ship your robots so that they arrive by December 23

  • February 28, 2027: Final deadline to redeem your code or submit your PO

Ready to Trade Up?

Your old robots have earned their keep. Now let them earn you some savings on your next chapter. BOLT+ keeps the parts of Sphero your students already love while clearing out the friction that's been slowing you down.

Start your upgrade today and check the December 15 deadline off your list before winter break sneaks up on you.

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