An innovative educational robotics kit that costs less than $20 dollars to make and is sent to youth for free, increasing their technical competency and understanding with a culturally competent curriculum.
11k+
Free robots sent
34k+
Users making robots on our Make-A-Robot Platform
100%
Designed by youth for youth for free
MIT Solve 2021 Indigenous Community Fellowship Winning pitch on how our robots impact Indigenous populations.
EKGAR
Has won....
MIT Solve 2021 Indigenous Communities Fellowship Winner
The American Student Assistance Prize for Equitable Education Winner
2021 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Prize Winner
We design, manufacture, distribute, and teach with our robots.
Our story
Robots are educational tools of the future and our youth deserve to be able to access them. We created an accessible and affordable robot to make it happen.
When our young founder saw how much robots cost and how many students in her community couldn't access technical education, she developed Every Kid Gets a Robot (EKGAR) when she was just 18-years-old. She firsthand experienced the barriers that existed in getting kids into science and tech, especially within her own Indigenous community. She knew something had to change, so she opened her engineering design software and started creating.
Education in technology enables economic development, connectivity, and innovation. Technical skills are becoming more important in all areas, but our youth are getting left behind. When not exposed to essential educational programming focused on robotics, digital design, and coding, it is near impossible to break into the most influential fields. Educational robotics strengthen and support students' technical skills in a project based and fun way through the creation, design, assembly, and operation of robots.
So we created an affordable option named EKGAR. EKGAR is a robotics kit that increases educational accessibility for youth. It costs less than 20 USD to manufacture and is sent to youth for free to teach key technical skills in everything from reading wiring diagrams to coding with a culturally competent curriculum. It consists of four one-of-a-kind 3D printed components and low cost ESP32 technology. It’s simple to manufacture, and we make the bots with recycled plastic. As of Spring 2022, we started providing a Starter Kit that focuses on basic assembly and electrical engineering skills that costs less than $11 USD to make.
Our robots get sent to educational institutions and organizations with class sets that are sponsored by our corporate partners. We provide robots for grades K-12 but emphasize middle school youth. We provide robots based on our supply and are not able to meet our large demand but are currently working on scale.
EKGAR has proven itself to be a solution of the future, reaching over 34,000 youths and educators, significantly increasing students' technical understanding , and influencing 90% of users to want to pursue a STEM career. We also have a virtual learning Make-A-Robot platform for users to make their own robots.
Let's build the future together. One robot at a time.
Teaching key engineering skills
Assembly
Manufacturing
Coding
Wiring
Design
How They're Made
Designed and hand assembled with care by our team, complete with custom and representative art made by our founder.
Get Robots
Are you are an educational institution, organization, or nonprofit? Do you want robots? Learn more about our application process and fill out our quick form to access our Make-A-Robot Platform to make your own robots or get your own kits sent to you. After our screening process, we will provide next steps with a plan that works for you.
Please learn more here:
Every Kid Gets a Robot
Making Tech Accessible
Indigenous Youth: Our Why
Our Founder, an Indigenous (Ojibwe) youth, has experienced what it is like to be left out of technical educational opportunities. She began creating robots at the age of 18 with her community in mind so that no one is left behind. We all deserve to access learning opportunities that will make our lives and the world better. Why does this matter?
Technical education holds significant importance for Indigenous communities as it plays a crucial role in promoting self-determination, fostering opportunities in tech careers, and empowering individuals to find their voice. Unfortunately, Indigenous peoples face systemic barriers that limit our access to technological resources, making the need for technical education even more critical. Additionally, students also often feel uncomfortable pursuing STEM careers due to various reasons, including historical and ongoing marginalization, lack of representation, cultural barriers, and limited resources. These factors can contribute to a sense of exclusion and create a hostile environment for Indigenous individuals in STEM fields.
An overview of the disconnect:
-
Access to Computers: Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by the digital divide. In rural Native communities, only 9% of households have personal computers, and even fewer have Internet access (National Congress of American Indians). Computer access for most Natives is outside the home.
-
Internet Access: 18% of tribal reservation residents have no internet access at home, wireless or land-based (American Indian Policy Institute at Arizona State University).
-
Role Models:
-
Indigenous peoples make up only 0.4% of the engineering workforce (Northern Arizona University).
-
The STEM workforce is 72% male (Society of Women Engineers).
-
Only 33% of workers in STEM careers are non-white (Pew Research Center).
-
-
Dropout Rates: Indigenous students have the highest dropout rate in the U.S. (U.S. Department of Education's Indian Nations at Risk Task Force.
-
STEM Divide: “STEM is not available to all learners” – The White House.
Given these challenges, technical education becomes a vital tool for empowering Indigenous communities. By providing access to culturally responsive technology, training, and resources, it helps bridge the digital divide and equips individuals with the skills needed to thrive now. Technical education also opens doors to career opportunities in the tech sector, where Indigenous voices and perspectives are often underrepresented. The lack of diverse perspectives hampers the progress of scientific research, limits innovation, and undermines efforts to address the unique challenges faced by Indigenous communities. It is essential to create inclusive and supportive environments in STEM education and workplaces, recognizing and valuing the contributions of Indigenous peoples. Moreover, technical education fosters self-determination by allowing Indigenous communities to assert control over our own technological development. It enables us to address specific needs and challenges we face, promoting community resilience and self-sufficiency.
In summary, technical education plays a pivotal role in empowering Indigenous communities by addressing disparities in access to technology, providing opportunities for career growth, and promoting self-determination. By equipping Indigenous individuals with the necessary skills and resources, we can help bridge the digital divide, amplify our voices, and foster greater inclusion in the ever-evolving world of technology.
The Design
We created a one-of-a-kind affordable robotics design. EKGAR was designed in 3D modeling software, SOLIDWORKS, by our founder when she was 18-years-old.
Mechanical
The robot is manufactured from the bioplastic PLA and consists of four 3D-printed pieces. The assembly process and CAD background teaches design and additive manufacturing knowledge.
Electrical
The robot operates on an ESP32 Development Board and utilizes a simple circuit with a breadboard that can be edited easily by the student to add more features. Students learn how to read an electrical diagram and effectively create a circuit.
Software
The robot is programmed in the open-source Arduino IDE (Java, C, and C++). It is app-controlled via a program we wrote, hosted on Blynk. For students who don't have access to WiFi, there is a loop pre-programmed on the microcontroller for use.
Innovation
How Every Kid Gets a Robot stands out.
Education
EKGAR teaches advanced technical skills in robotics, digital design, coding, and more in an approachable, accessible, and culturally competent way for youth who may not have exposure to these resources otherwise. These skills are all key for an ever-improving future that can be difficult to teach without significant funding, which is why this solution is so unique. We have implemented a model of hybrid hands-on and virtual learning to reach both the student and educator.
Cost
EKGAR is affordable, costing less than $20 USD to make, and is sent to youth for free. This cost includes the power supply, mechanical and electrical components, 3D prints, traction, fasteners, and connectors. The robot is WiFi and Bluetooth compatible. As of Spring 2022, we started rolling out a Starter Kit, breaking EKGAR down into two steps to better suit large educational events.
Design
EKGAR allows children to assemble, wire, and program their own robots in an intuitive way. The simple and unique 3D printed pieces allow components to easily fit on the robot body. The design is durable, easily replicable on multiple 3D printers (and a new mold that we are developing for classrooms without printers), cost-effective, and unique. The electrical circuits and mechanical designs are editable by students, ensuring continuous learning for students.
Sustainable
Our robots shouldn't last longer in the world than us. The EKGAR kits that we manufacture are made out of recycled plastic and we will be launching our biodegradable robotics components in 2022. The majority of the packaging that our electronics comes in is reused on the robot. We offer a Return-A-Robot Program to allow students to return their robots to be reused and recycled if they so wish.
For our sustainability efforts
EKGAR
Has won....
2021 Verizon Forward for Good Challenge Winner
2021 VentureWell E-Teams Grant
2020 Brower Youth Award by Earth Island Institute
Funding and Distribution
How we are able to offer our robots for free and what that means for your classroom. When applying for robots, indicate your financial need on our form. Robots are distributed based on both supply and need.
One on One
An educational organization or institution requests a set number of robots for their classroom. The organization funds their desired number of kits and gives them to their students for free or keep them in their classroom for continued use.
Partnership
We form a three-pronged partnership between The STEAM Connection, an educational organization in need of robots, and a sponsor who wants to fund a set number of robots. The robots are sent to the students for free. This method is often used for special or annual events.
Donations
Via our consistent flow of donations to our organization, we provide robots for free to organizations and individuals who apply here.