Smart Floodgate: Keeping Water Where It Belongs
The 12-session plan
Learn the fundamental principles behind floodgates: buoyancy, levers, and mechanical advantage.
Explore different types of floodgates in the real world to help spark ideas for their own floodgate.
Sketch and design their own floodgate idea and come up with a list of materials.
Begin building the foundation of the floodgate design idea they sketched.
Finish building the rest of the floodgate design idea they sketched.
Frequently asked questions
Who is this project a great fit for?+
BlueRobins projects are designed for curious students in Grades 3-12 who want to build. No prior experience is needed — mentors start wherever your child is and grow the challenge as they grow.
What does a typical session look like?+
Your child meets 1-on-1 with their mentor every week over Google Meet. Programs run 16 sessions of 45 minutes each. Sessions are hands-on from minute one — building, designing, coding, writing, experimenting — with the mentor coaching live, asking great questions, and unlocking the next step.
What will my child build by the end?+
A finished project they're proud of and can show the world. Across 16 sessions, your child turns an ambitious idea into a working app, prototype, research write-up, portfolio, or published artifact. Every student finishes with a completion certificate signed by their mentor.
Why a free trial first?+
So your child can meet their mentor, get a feel for the project, and leave the call excited. The trial is a complimentary 1-on-1 free trial session — no credit card needed. After the trial, you decide if it's the right fit. Most families know within the first 15 minutes.