Robotics for kids in Palo Alto

Robotics is one of the strongest youth activities in Palo Alto. Both public high schools have built competition robots since the 1990s, before most of today's students were born. A community team founded in 2016 now brings home awards from the world championship. Around them sit weekly robotics classes, summer camps and volunteer mentors who help younger children start LEGO teams. The path from a first LEGO motor in fourth grade to a full-size competition robot in high school is clear here, if a little expensive in time.

This guide covers teams, camps and classes we confirmed for 2026 on team sites, FIRST's own event records and provider pages. It focuses on Palo Alto, with one nearby option in Sunnyvale that we name.

How FIRST robotics works

FIRST is the nonprofit behind most school robotics competitions. Its programs build on each other by age.

Each FRC season revolves around a new game revealed in January. The 2026 game was REBUILT and FIRST has named the 2027 game BIOCORE. Teams design, build and program through the winter. District events begin around March.

Paly Robotics, Team 8

Paly Robotics is the FRC team at Palo Alto High School. FIRST lists its rookie year as 1996, which is why it carries the low number 8. Students work on building, programming, animation, art and outreach. The team also runs subteams for public relations and student leadership. FIRST lists sponsors including Apple, the Bayer Fund, the Intuitive Foundation, Costco and Microsoft.

The 2026 season went well. FIRST's records show the team won the Contra Costa district event, took an Industrial Design Award and competed at the FIRST Championship in Houston. Its robot for the season was named Skaði. The team was recruiting for the 2026 to 2027 season on its site in November 2026.

Programs for younger kids

• Summer camp. In 2026 the team ran two weeks of camp, June 15 to 19 and June 22 to 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Paly, for incoming 6th to 9th graders. The price was $525 per session, with financial aid by email request. Registration closed early, so watch for 2027 dates in spring.
• FIRST LEGO League help. The team helps start and mentor FLL Challenge teams for grades 4 to 8 and keeps a form for students who want a team.
• FTC mentoring. It offers guidance to families starting an FTC team, from registration to robot design.
• Lego Robotics Program. The team has run a free series of Saturday-morning LEGO sessions at its Paly lab in past years. The dates on its page are from an earlier season, so email the team before planning on it.

Details are on the Paly Robotics site.

Gunn Robotics Team, Team 192

The Gunn Robotics Team, known as GRT, was founded in 1996 by Bill Dunbar at Gunn High School and entered FRC for the 1997 season. It runs as both a project-based class and a competitive team, with two full classes meeting through the school year. GRT is student-managed. Members design in CAD, fabricate and wire robots, write software, make animations and run sponsorships and outreach. Every student learns CAD and shop work before specializing in areas such as programming, welding or gearbox design.

In 2026 FIRST's records show GRT was a district event finalist and won a Team Spirit Award at the Ventura County event. Gunn students join through the school, so ask at the start of the year about the robotics class.

Peninsula Robotics, Team 6036

Students outside the two high schools, or who want a second team, can look at Peninsula Robotics. It is FRC Team 6036, run by the Palo Alto Youth Robotics Association, with a rookie year of 2016. Its 2026 season was strong: FIRST lists an Innovation in Control Award in the Newton Division at the FIRST Championship, the same award at the Northern California state championship, a district finalist finish at Glendale and Ventura County and an Excellence in Engineering Award at Ventura County. Contact the team through its FIRST listing about tryouts and fees.

Weekly classes and camps

For children who are not ready for a competition team, several local programs teach robotics on a weekly schedule.

• theCoderSchool at 299 California Avenue, Suite 115, teaches robotics in its usual 2:1 coaching format, on VEX IQ and LEGO SPIKE Prime platforms. Students start with block code and move up to Python. Weekly 2:1 coaching was listed at $295 a month.
• iCode Palo Alto at 1765 East Bayshore Road, Suite G, includes robotics in its after-school clubs, holiday camps and summer camps. It offers a free trial class.
• iD Tech lists robotics among its weeklong 2027 day camps at Palo Alto High School, June 14 to July 16, for ages 7 to 17, from $1,129 a week.

Our coding for kids guide compares these programs in more detail.

Maker Nexus and The Tech Challenge

Maker Nexus, the big nonprofit makerspace at 1330 Orleans Drive in Sunnyvale, runs STEAM classes and camps for ages 6 to 18 during school breaks and in weekly sessions. It also supports teams entering The Tech Interactive's annual Tech Challenge, an engineering contest for students. Its Tech Challenge membership was listed at $150 a month for an adult supervisor and $50 a month for each youth member, with at least four youth. Teams get a storage drawer and can book private classes at member rates. Title I schools can ask about a reduced rate. Read more about The Tech Interactive in San Jose.

More for teens who build

Robotics often leads to other hands-on projects. The free MakeX makerspace at Cubberley Community Center has laser cutters and 3D printers staffed by teen mentors, handy for prototype parts. Our maker spaces guide lists its hours. Older students who like building software as well as hardware can try student hackathons, covered in our hackathons guide. The teens guide rounds up the city's other programs for middle and high school students.

What parents should know

1. Time is the real cost. FRC teams often meet several evenings a week and most weekends during build season, January to April.
2. Not every role is technical. Teams need students for business plans, video, art, scouting and outreach.
3. Start small. An FLL team or a weekly class shows whether your child enjoys the team format.
4. Ask about aid. Paly's camp and Maker Nexus both mention financial help for families who need it.
5. Watch an event. Most FIRST district events are free to watch and they are the best way to see what high school teams do.

Frequently asked questions