Sphero Global Challenge

Presented by STEM it Up Sports

Registration for Season 4 of the Sphero Global Challenge has ended. Please check back here in May for details on Season 5, including an all-new theme, new events, and more!

Sphero Goes Incognito

The Season 4 Theme “Sphero Goes Incognito” provided three thrilling events that allow kids and teens to go deeper with computational thinking, engineering, and programming skills.

Undercover indi

Sphero indi global challenge.

SKILLS

Students will explore computational thinking skills by designing a route for indi, constructing a secret message, and disguising indi to demonstrate their understanding.

  • Problem Solving
  • Algorithmic Thinking
  • Basic Coding Concepts
  • Pattern Recognition

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Spies Like BOLT

Sphero indi global challenge.

SKILLS

Students will use BOLT robots and Blueprint to recreate spy missions for mission objectives—all while learning different programming skills including:

  • Loops
  • Conditionals
  • Variables
  • Functions

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

RVR+ Spies on the Move

Sphero indi global challenge.

SKILLS

Students will turn RVR+ into a spy vehicle. Combined with Blueprint, students will use their sidekick spy vehicle to complete mission objectives and demonstrate their programming skills including:

  • Loops
  • Conditionals
  • Variables
  • Functions

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

  • 1 Sphero RVR+ or RVR robot (sold separately)
  • 1 Sphero Global Challenge Season 4 Blueprint Kit (sold separately, shipping early August)
  • 2 programming devices with access to the Sphero Edu app installed
  • 10’ x 10’ hard & flat surface for the provided Competition Field
  • Video recording device (such as a smartphone)
Sphero indi global challenge.
Sphero indi global challenge.
Sphero indi global challenge.

SKILLS

  • Students will explore computational thinking skills by designing a route for indi, constructing a secret message, and disguising indi to demonstrate their understanding of:

    • Problem Solving
    • Algorithmic Thinking
    • Basic Coding Concepts
    • Pattern Recognition
  • Students will use BOLT robots and Blueprint to recreate spy missions for mission objectives—all while learning different programming skills including:

    • Loops
    • Conditionals
    • Variables
    • Functions
  • Students will turn RVR+ into a spy vehicle. Combined with Blueprint, students will use their sidekick spy vehicle to complete mission objectives and demonstrate their programming skills including:

    • Loops
    • Conditionals
    • Variables
    • Functions

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

    • 2 Sphero BOLT robots (sold separately)
    • 1 Sphero Global Challenge Season 4 Blueprint Kit (sold separately, shipping early August)
    • 2 programming devices with access to the Sphero Edu app installed
    • 2 x 1 meter hard & flat surface for the provided Competition Field
    • Video recording device (such as a smartphone)
    • Optional: Sphero Code Mat
    • 1 Sphero RVR+ or RVR robot (sold separately)
    • 1 Sphero Global Challenge Season 4 Blueprint Kit (sold separately, shipping early August)
    • 2 programming devices with access to the Sphero Edu app installed
    • 10’ x 10’ hard & flat surface for the provided Competition Field
    • Video recording device (such as a smartphone)

IMPORTANT DATES

  • September 13, 2023: Coaches Kickoff Webinar - Initiate your journey with expert insights
  • January 31, 2024: Office Hours Webinar for Coaches
  • February 1, 2024: Registration deadline for virtual submissions
  • February 14, 2024: Deadline for submitting virtual submissions
  • March 2024: Sphero World Championship finalists announced
  • April 22–May 2, 2024: Sphero World Championship judging sessions - where finalists get their moment in the spotlight with our judges for a brief and exciting evaluation period.

Explore the In-Person Experience

Are you ready for in-person action? If you're located in or can travel to Texas, be sure to check out our blog post on competing in person. Feel the energy, engage with local teams, and take your skills to the next level on the grand stage of the Sphero Global Challenge. When you register, you'll have the opportunity to specify your preferred pathway with the registration form linked in the follow-up email.

Learn about the in-person competition

WHAT COACHES GET:

IUpon registration, we’ll email you everything you need to participate in the Sphero Global Challenge Season 4, including:

  • Coaching Guides
  • Mission Objectives
  • Sphero Global Challenge Official Rules Book and Evaluation Rubrics
  • Competition Rules and Evaluation Rubric
  • Team Meeting Agendas
  • Submission Slideshow Templates
  • Coaching support from the Sphero team
To receive coaching materials, be sure to finalize your registration by completing the Google form sent in your registration confirmation email!
See Resources

Assemble Your Espionage Network

Starting a team of spies is easier than you think! Coaches do not need to be programmers, or even educators, to support students through the Sphero Global Challenge. Instead, act as a facilitator as students work to explore, solve problems, and unleash their creativity.

The Coaching Guides will give you the tools and structure to guide your students through each event. The Sphero Global Challenge is perfect for after school programs, STEM/STEAM Clubs, school-day science blocks, or even for students to work on at home.

Structuring Your Team

Teams can consist of 1–5 students. After purchasing the registration, you will be emailed a form to finalize registration and indicate whether you intend to compete in person. For larger groups of students (i.e. robotics clubs), we recommend forming multiple teams. In this case, you will need to purchase a registration for each team and finalize the registration for each team separately. Coaches are welcome to lead as many teams as they'd like.

Team Roles

We recommend students work in teams of three to five to give every student an opportunity to productively contribute to the Event. The maximum team size is five students. Working in teams will also help develop collaboration and teamwork skills. We encourage students to take on a role for the competition (or switch them for each Mission Objective) to establish a sense of agency. Suggested roles could include, but are not limited to, the following:

Have Questions?

Check out our SGC FAQs or reach out to competitions@sphero.com!

SGC FAQs