Frequently Asked Questions

Arriving 10-15 minutes early will allow participants to sign in without missing/interrupting the workshop. 

No, but you are most welcome to.

We fully understand that some kids have additional needs and require additional support. We ask that you please consider your child in the following aspects:

• how they will interact with up to 12 strangers.

• how they cope within a busy and potentially loud environment.

• how the respond to/take instructions from adults.

• how they show respect towards equipment that is not theirs.

• if they can concentrate for extended periods of time.

If you have concerns around any of these areas, it would be greatly appreciated to let us know so we can work with you and your child to set them up for success and have the best possible outcome.

Unfortunately, no. Without a device with the Lego Education Spike app it is impossible to interact/code the robots.

All breakages need to be reported to JRA mentors as soon as possible. These breakages will be considered on a case by case basis and will be investigated by JRA. 

• General wear and tear is expected and covered by JRA. As is any damage caused while robots are performing tasks the workshop intends them to do e.g. falling off the bridge or sumo ring.

• Accidental damage through preventable situations i.e. dropping robots, stepping on parts etc., along with intentional damage will incur charges to the participant to the value of replacing/fixing the part.

Lego robots and components are pretty hardy though and we haven't had any issues with this in the past.

It is the responsibility of participants to ensure their device is fully charged before the workshop and able to last the duration of the workshop. We will have a limited supply of device chargers that should cover most iPad and Android devices. Laptops and Chromebooks often have different chargers and connections however, so these cannot be accounted for.

Participants will not need their device/screen on for the entire workshop/course as there are plenty of build and testing phases. We also recommend adjusting settings, particularly screen brightness to maximise battery length just in case.

Some of our venues have strict requirements around electrical equipment needing to be tagged and tested by a qualified electrician. Therefore, it is highly possible that participants will not be able to charge devices while in the workshop.

One electronic device with theLego Education Spike app downloaded on it is needed per group/team. These can be Android tablets, iPads, laptops and/or chrome books. N.B. phones cannot download the app.

A water bottle and a snack is also recommended, while lunch will also be required for longer workshops/courses.

Not at all!

We want as many kids as possible to engage in our workshops regardless of their current skill level. All workshops are created from the viewpoint that the participants have no knowledge of robotics. Their will be paper guides, along with the mentors to assist participants where necessary.

All competition teams will need to sign up as a group. JRA will not put individuals together to form a team.

This is because of the complexity of both the season, team work and differing personalities.

Teams are required to give 72 hours notice before the first scheduled session to receive a full refund.

Teams who give less than 72 hours notice before the first lesson up until the end of the second lesson may be entitled to a partial refund. This amount will be at the discretion of Bundaberg Junior Robotics Academy and will take the following factors into consideration:

• Number of lessons completed/number of lessons remaining.

• JRA’s ability to replace the team’s place in the program

• Loss of income resulting from cancellation.

Participants who cancel their placement after the second lesson are not entitled to a refund.

Any additional competition registration fees will be refunded provided the fees have not already been paid to RoboCup.

JRA do not measure success purely on results nor can we guarantee ‘wining/placing’ in competitions. The goal of these programs is for participants to learn engineering principles and coding. There are also far too many factors at play including student designs and coding as well as external factors such as environments and technology.

Projects must be predominantly/all of the participants own work. While JRA will provide extensive support and guidance to prepare participants for the competitions, during the competitions, JRA mentors are not allowed to touch participants’ robots or coding. This is part of the competition rules to ensure participants are the ones responsible for their projects and to ensure as much fairness as possible across all teams.

JRA will make all efforts to ensure all teams are ready in some capacity for each competition. Participants and parents are reminded however that the State Championship is the end goal of the season. As such, participants will learn from each early Regional competition and implement these improvements regardless of the ‘readiness’ of their robots.

As mentioned earlier, JRA do not measure success purely on results. These experiences are provided for the participants to learn life long skills such as problem solving, adaptability, resilience etc. ‘Failures/problems’ are to be expected and learnt from.

Unfortunately, Yes.

Lego robotics equipment is very expensive and while quite hardy, doesn’t last forever. On top of the base kit, additional expansion sets are needed as well as extra/event specific sensors to be able to compete at a high standard.

On top of the robotics kits, competition equipment such as courses, balls, and fields can also be very expensive. Other costs such as mentor wages, hiring fees, insurance, admin costs, travel and accommodation to and from competitions are also factored in. 

Generally no. The risk of loss, damage or leaving parts behind when coming to sessions/competitions is too great. Exceptions may be made, though this is in rare circumstances and these decision can only be made by the JRA Head Mentor.

Short answer, likely, though depends on the chosen event, time management and individual preference as to how much.

Long answer, some of the events are more time consuming than others and could require additional planning, research or even debug or create new code ready for testing. If attending the State Champs, each team will need to create a ‘Technical Description Poster’. This would help them be prepared for the sessions in order to maximise their time with the robots and available support.

Definitely, however …

Email is the preferred method and should either be via the parent/guardian’s email or have them CC'd into it.

Response times may vary as mentors have other jobs/commitments. Responses will typically be faster between Thursday - Sunday.

Unfortunately, no.

Session dates are set and locked in based on availability of mentors and venues.

If a session is cancelled by JRA for any reason e.g. extreme weather, sickness, venue not available etc. JRA will make all efforts to find a suitable time/day for participants to catch up on this session. If no catch up can be provided, a refund based on a pro-rata calculation will be provided.

JRA encourage teams to attend as many competitions as possible to get the most out of the program. After all, this is what the sessions are working towards and where teams will get to formally test/demonstrate their learning/progress. They are also excellent events to develop your child's personal skills such as time management, problem solving, resilience etc.

However, the 3 competitions are all voluntary for teams as JRA understand that other commitments such as school, sport, family etc. can make these impossible and some kids don't want to compete.