I’m Nick Brunner, Vice President of Business Development at Ozobot. I lead many of our partnerships with schools, children’s museums, expanded-learning organizations, and other groups working to make hands-on STEM and computer science more accessible. One of the best parts of my role is seeing the creative ways educators use Ozobot—often well beyond what we initially imagined.
I love that Ozobot is one of the Literati Partners. For those who don't know about Ozobot, tell us about Ozobot to start.
Ozobot is a hands-on coding and robotics platform designed to make computer science approachable for every learner. Our small but powerful robots allow students to begin coding screen-free by drawing lines and Color Codes with markers, then progress to block-based and more advanced programming.
What makes Ozobot special is that it makes coding visible and tangible. Students create a command, immediately see the robot respond, and then collaborate, troubleshoot, and try again. That quick feedback makes learning feel more like discovery and play.
Who is on the Ozobot team?
Ozobot has a passionate, multidisciplinary team that includes engineers, product designers, curriculum specialists, educators, customer-support professionals, and sales leaders. We bring together people who understand technology with people who understand what it is really like to teach and manage a classroom. That combination helps us create products that are innovative but also practical for educators.
We have used Ozobot at my school since the start. How did Ozobot start and how has it evolved over the years?
Ozobot began with a simple but powerful idea: what if students could learn the fundamentals of coding by drawing with colored markers? The original Ozobot was introduced in 2014 and used optical sensors to follow lines and respond to sequences of colors.
Since then, Ozobot has grown from a small line-following robot into a broader educational platform. Evo added sensors, lights, sounds, and block-based programming. Ari, our newest robot, adds an interactive display, advanced sensors, and opportunities to explore AI, engineering, physics, and more. We have also expanded our standards-aligned curriculum, professional development, math and engineering kits, and teacher resources—all while preserving the screen-free experience that made Ozobot unique.
What ages are Ozobots for? How does Ozobot support students?
Ozobot can support learners from PreK through high school, although most classroom use is concentrated in elementary and middle school. Younger students can begin with screen-free Color Codes, patterns, sequencing, and cause and effect. As students advance, they can move into block-based coding, algorithms, loops, conditionals, sensors, data, and AI-related concepts.
Evo is especially well suited for K–3, while Ari expands the possibilities for grades 3–8 and more advanced learning. Because there are multiple entry points, students with no coding experience can work alongside more experienced students while still being appropriately challenged. Ozobot’s current learning pathway supports creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, debugging, and perseverance—not just coding knowledge.
How does Ozobot support computer science standards and STEM?
Ozobot lessons connect to major frameworks including CSTA, ISTE, NGSS, and TEKS, with additional state and international alignments available. Educators can search for content by standard and identify activities that support their instructional goals. Ozobot’s standards resources make it easier to connect hands-on robotics with required learning outcomes.
How does Ozobot support teachers and librarians?
We recognize that many teachers and librarians have never taught coding or STEM before, so Ozobot is designed to be easy to introduce without requiring a computer science background. Students can begin with markers, paper, and a simple activity, with very little setup or technology support.
Educators also have access to ready-to-use lessons, pacing guides, standards mappings, tutorials, professional development, webinars, and direct support. Ozobot works especially well in libraries because it is compact, collaborative, easy to use in learning stations, and flexible enough for a single event, recurring makerspace program, or schoolwide initiative.
Are there other subject/content areas that Ozobot supports?
Absolutely! Ozobot is often introduced as a coding robot, but educators use it across the curriculum. Students can program a robot to retell a story, trace a character’s journey, model a planetary system, demonstrate mathematical thinking, navigate a historical map, or complete an engineering challenge.
Our resources support math, science, engineering, literacy, art, geography, social studies, and English-language development. Ozobot can become a creative tool for demonstrating understanding rather than simply another subject educators have to fit into the schedule.
Where do you see Ozobot used most within school communities?
We see Ozobot used in classrooms, libraries, Makerspaces, STEM labs, afterschool programs, summer learning, intervention programs, and gifted education.
Some schools begin with a librarian or STEM specialist and then expand into individual classrooms as teachers see the possibilities. Ozobot is particularly effective in small groups, where students can collaborate, assign roles, discuss their thinking, and solve problems together.
Does Ozobot have other resources available to use with the robots?
Yes! Ozobot Classroom includes a large library of lessons and activities organized by grade, subject, and coding experience. Educators can also find introductory Color Code and Blockly lessons, Ari lessons, Challenge Mat activities, STEAM Kit lessons, pacing guides, tutorials, and a community lesson-creation tool.
Beyond the online resources, we offer Color Code Magnets, curriculum kits, math-fluency and engineering kits, Challenge Mats, STEAM kits, professional development, and a 3D CAD library where educators can explore printable accessories.
Are new products tested by students? I would LOVE to know this!
Student and educator feedback is an important part of how we develop and improve our products. Whenever possible, we want new ideas to be used in real learning environments via Beta testing—not just evaluated in a product-development setting.
What is one of the most impactful projects you have worked on within a library or school?
One of the most impactful projects we have worked on took place in a first-grade inclusion classroom at Chimborazo Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia. The class was struggling with foundational number-sense skills, and midyear assessment data showed that six of the 16 students still needed urgent intervention.
Working with the classroom teacher, instructional assistant, and district technology coach, we introduced the Ozobot K–2 Math Fluency Kit during small-group math stations. For three weeks, 14 students used hands-on Ozobot lessons aligned directly to the skills identified in their assessment data, including counting, place value, skip-counting, and comparing numbers.
What made the project especially powerful was the way the educators framed the experience. Rather than telling students they were doing remedial math, they gave them a job: teach Evo how to solve the problems. That shift turned practice into active problem-solving and gave students a greater sense of purpose and ownership.
By the end of the pilot, the number of students needing urgent intervention had decreased from six to four, while the number performing at or above benchmark increased from five to seven. The class also showed no remaining area of need in Number and Number Sense on its end-of-year assessment.
The project reinforced something we see often: when students can physically interact with a concept, test their thinking, and revise their approach in real time, abstract ideas become much more accessible. It was a strong example of technology supporting—not replacing—great teaching.
What does this mean to Ozobot to be part of the Literati Partners program with others like Demco, Capstone, Mrs. Nelson’s, etc?
It is an honor to be included alongside organizations that have supported schools, libraries, literacy, and educators for many years. Books help students explore new ideas and imagine different worlds; hands-on tools like Ozobot give them another way to bring those ideas to life.
The partnership also reflects how libraries are evolving. They remain essential homes for books and literacy while increasingly serving as centers for creativity, technology, collaboration, and exploration. We are excited to help Literati schools extend the impact of their book fairs into those experiences.
What does Ozobot have to offer Literati book fair customers (schools, libraries)?
Literati customers can use their Partner Credits toward Ozobot products, including individual robots, classroom kits and accessories.
What does Ozobot have to offer Literati book fair customers focusing on bringing more to their classrooms with book fair funds?
Ozobot brings a uniquely hands-on approach to elementary learning, integrating seamlessly across subjects. As an approachable, out-of-the-box STEM tool, it enables teachers and librarians to engage students without requiring a background in computer science. Instead of worrying about technical expertise, educators can focus on what matters most: creating joyful learning experiences, strengthening problem-solving skills, and sparking those breakthrough “aha!” moments again and again.
Are there other resources from Ozobot that are helpful to librarians and teachers that you would like to highlight?
I would encourage educators to explore Ozobot Classroom, our webinars, professional-development options, pacing guides, standards-alignment resources, video tutorials, blog, 3D CAD library, and social media accounts. You will find Ozobot at ozobot.com
Do you have a favorite Ozobot product?
Evo is still my personal favorite because of its versatility. A young student can begin exploring right out of the box without any prior knowledge or experience with robots or coding.
I also love how quickly Evo creates a moment of discovery. My two older children at home love bringing Evo off the shelf and coming up with creative stories and adventures for the robot!
I am sure you have big things planned for what is next for Ozobot. Can you give us a little glimpse into what is to come next?
We are continuing to expand the ways Ozobot supports computer science, AI literacy, engineering, math, and core academic instruction. Ari gives us exciting opportunities around interactive learning, real-world sensors, data, and age-appropriate AI experiences. With those capabilities, we plan to launch a number of career-connection kits in 2027!
At the same time, screen-free learning remains an important part of our future. Our goal is to give educators more flexibility—not simply add more screen time—and to develop products and curriculum that are increasingly easy to implement across all educational environments.
Thank you so much for joining me, Nick. You have such an interesting and fun job. I can't wait to see what is next for Ozobot. And I sure can't wait to have my Literati Book Fair this fall so I can bring more Ozobot's to our students.
You can learn more about hosting a Literati Book Fair and book fair rewards here.
