As featued in Poets and Quants…
Founding Student Name(s): Maximilian Goetz
Brief Description of Solution: Robotics For All is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides equitable educational opportunities to students in underserved communities. Robotics For All offers in-person and online robotics, programming, and engineering courses for K-12 grade students. These courses are offered after school, have 1-2 classes/week, and typically run for 8 weeks. Class offerings include: Scratch, Python, TinkerCAD, Snap Circuits, and VEX.
What led you to launch this venture? As a 9th grader, I worked with second-grade student Antonio while tutoring for Reading Partners, a non-profit which aims to help students who are behind in reading. Antonio told me many stories of how he didn’t have opportunities that are often taken for granted, such as having LEGOs at home. It inspired me to research the issue and I found a startling hole in afterschool STEM programs at underserved schools. Understanding the importance of STEM skills, I wanted to make a larger impact in the lives of students like Antonio. I then founded Robotics For All in April 2017 and registered it as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization in October 2018.