On May 27, 2026, the C-STEM Center hosted Strengthening TK-12 Math Intervention Under the California Mathematics Framework” workshop for educators to learn and explore standards-aligned strategies for integrating diverse Tier 1 mathematics programs with MTSS Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention and special education through hands-on coding and robotics. 

The workshop on Creative STEAM Learning through Computational Storytelling with Robotics was held on May 22, 2026 at the Solano County Office of Education. This hands-on workshop introduced educators to a creative approach to STEAM learning through storytelling with coding and robotics.

Hands-On STEM Learning in Action

Last week, the UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education conducted a successful one-day workshop on Integrating Physical Computing with Arduino and Robotics in Math, Science, Computer Science, and STEAM Education at the Solano County Office of Education.

Electric RoboPlay Challenge Competition!

Huge congratulations to San Bernardino City USD for hosting a spectacular UC Davis C-STEM RoboPlay Challenge Competition at CSU San Bernardino on March 18, 2026!

The energy was electric as more than 115 students from 29 teams showcased their math, coding, and problem-solving skills under time pressure. At each school, all students in participating classes competed in a school-wide RoboPlay qualifier round, and the winning teams advanced to the district level.

On Thursday, March 12, 2026, over 165 educators and administrators gathered for the 7th Annual C-STEM Symposium to advance innovation in math, computer science, and STEAM education.

Dr. Harry Cheng’s commentary on teaching mathematics with coding and robotics was published in EdSource, a well-respected educational journalism organization that keeps educators informed on key trends, systems, institutions, and debates in California education. In the commentary, Dr.

Students at McPherson Magnet School from Ms. Lauri Truong, Ms. Nicole Wyckoff, and Ms. Ngoc Garrett’s classes celebrated Thanksgiving in innovative style, building and coding OmniTurkey robots and hosting their 1st Annual Macy’s Day Robotics Parade!

Ms. Truong’s 6th–8th grade C-STEM students engineered OmniTurkeys using Omnibots, Arduino, and joystick controls, programming their creations to strut proudly with fluffy white feathers.

Mathematics education is at a crossroads. For decades, educators have searched for ways to make mathematics more relevant, engaging, and applicable to real-world contexts, while maintaining the rigor demanded by academic standards. Drawing on over two decades of work in integrating computing and robotics into K–12 mathematics education and collaboration with more than a thousand teachers and administrators, I coined the term Mathebotics in 2017 to describe an emerging field that unifies mathematics, computing, and robotics.

Solano County just launched the first C-STEM Girls Robotics Leadership (GIRL) Camp of 2025. The Vacaville (CA) Reporter, Richard Bammer, reported that Solano Community College’s Vacaville Center hosted the first of three Girls in Robotics Leadership summer camps on Friday, June 13. 

Learn how Hacienda La Puente USD's Board, administrators, and teachers work together to revolutionize K-12 math education using hands-on coding and robotics, resulting in improved state math test scores, including a 344% year-over-year increase for a class.
 

Moderator: 

Mary Nicely, Chief Deputy Superintendent/Deputy Superintendent IT, California Department of Education (CDE)

Panelists (from Hacienda La Puente USD): 

The UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education (C-STEM) has partnered with the Trinity County Office of Education to introduce an innovative approach to mathematics learning for K–12 students in a rural mountain region characterized by small and very small school districts. Trinity County serves a total of 1,601 students across 10 school districts, six of which enroll fewer than 100 students.

Since 2010, the University of California, Davis, Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education, or C-STEM, has aimed to transform K-12 math, computer science and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) education through integrated learning.

Twenty-five teachers from Redlands Unified School District in southern California recently completed training in integrating computer science into math education through a joint program offered by the University of California, Davis, and UC Riverside Extension. The Joint Computer Science Supplementary Teaching Credential Authorization Program has helped Redlands address gaps in student opportunity and achievement, and teachers’ skills.

The UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education (C-STEM) seeks to transform math and tech pedagogy through integrated learning, which connects concepts across subjects and curricula. Among the C-STEM Center’s primary objectives is addressing the disparity in academic performance of students traditionally underrepresented in STEM, referred to in education as the “achievement gap.”