Sphero and Facebook Partner to Increase Access to Computer Programming in the United States

Tech leaders hope to inspire 4th-8th grade students to play while
learning computer programming skills

BOULDER, Colo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#BeyondCode—Sphero,
the technology company utilizing play as a powerful teacher, today
announced a partnership with a new Facebook-led initiative, CodeFWD,
to expand education and discovery around computer programming in the
United States. Sphero’s leading educational department, Sphero Edu, will
spearhead this initiative with its most-advanced robot, the Sphero BOLT,
which launched earlier this month. Together, Sphero Edu and CodeFWD will
expand access and participation in computer programming for
underrepresented students, including Black, Latino/Hispanic, Native
American and female audiences so the next generation of tech innovators
can incorporate diverse perspectives, building a future that benefits us
all.

Through this partnership, Sphero Edu and Facebook will provide a
complimentary Sphero
BOLT Power Pack to a select number of applicants through the CodeFWD
by Facebook program, a free online program for educators and
organizations that uses videos and other activities to inspire interest
in computer programming for 4th-8th grade students in the US. Educators
and organizations must complete all three steps of CodeFWD by Facebook
in order to be eligible to apply for a free Sphero BOLT Power Pack. The
Sphero BOLT Power Pack consists of 15 Sphero BOLT app-enabled robots as
well as accessories designed to make it easy to bring Sphero BOLT into
any school or maker environment. Making the educator experience
extremely seamless, the Sphero BOLT Power Pack charges all 15 Sphero
BOLT robots simultaneously. The Sphero BOLT Power Pack is valued at
$2,499.

“We have an incredible track record with schools across the globe that
have already adapted Sphero into their classrooms to increase STEAM
education,” said Melissa Gomez, senior director of education, Sphero.
“We’re proud to be partnering with Facebook to bring more robots into
hands of children, inspiring our future generations with new, engaging
ways of learning.”

Building upon the Sphero’s suite of products rooted in a commitment to
education, Sphero BOLT’s capabilities empower users to dive deeper into
the world of STEAM learning. Sphero BOLT is accompanied by the Sphero
Edu app. The app provides educators, parents and kids alike with an
ecosystem to share curriculum, projects and learnings with ease,
furthering Sphero’s mission to educate consumers through the act of
play. Sphero BOLT comes to life through the existing Sphero Edu app for
learning and coding on iOS, Android, Kindle, Mac, Windows and Chrome, as
well as the new Sphero Play app for unique drive modes and games on iOS
and Android.

To learn more about the Sphero Edu and CodeFWD by Facebook partnership,
please visit http://sphero.com/codefwd.
For more information about Sphero BOLT Powerpack, visit http://sphero.com/BOLT
or follow Sphero on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

ABOUT SPHERO:
Founded in 2010 and based in Boulder, CO,
Sphero’s ongoing mission is to inspire tomorrow’s creators. We’re
available in 80+ countries around the globe and have sold more than
three million robots to date… and counting. Touted as “the best day of
school” for kids, we aim to be all that and more as we continue to
explore new technologies in the realm of creative play. We firmly
believe that play is a powerful teacher, and as long as we’re sparking
imaginations around the world, we’ll keep fueling that fire.

ABOUT SPHERO EDU:
Sphero Edu uses app-enabled robots to
foster creativity through discovery and play, all while laying the
foundation for computer science. The Sphero Edu program goes beyond code
with collaborative STEAM activities, nurturing students’ imaginations in
ways no other education program can. Cross-platform apps are
approachable for all skill levels, allowing us to reach as many minds as
possible. To date, the Sphero Edu team works with more than 30,000
educators, in more than 20,000 schools across the globe. More than 1.3
million students have been positively impacted through Sphero Edu and
its work to educate kids surrounding technology and computer science.
For more information, visit sphero.com/education
or follow @SpheroEdu
on Twitter.

ABOUT CODEFWD BY FACEBOOK:
CodeFWD by Facebook is a free
online program where educators and organizations — ie teachers and after
school or non-profit staff — introduce computer science and basic coding
principles to students through videos before students try coding through
online activities. After completing three steps, facilitators who want
to continue to develop their students’ coding skills using a tangible,
hands-on product can apply to earn a classroom set of robots from our
partners at Sphero. The program is designed to expand access and
participation in computer programming from underrepresented students in
computer programming, including Black, Latino/Hispanic, Native American
and female audiences so the next generation of tech innovators can
incorporate diverse perspectives, building a future that benefits us
all. For more details, http://sphero.com/codefwd.

Contacts

Sphero
Jacqueline White, 312-890-8424
Jacqueline.white@sphero.com