RoboBots Program - AWT Foundation

RoboBots brings manufacturing to life for middle and high school students

RoboBots is a high school combat robotics competition that allows high schools to partner with an industry mentor to build a 15 lb combat robot. JuniorBots is the middle school program and students build a 3 lb robot.

Teams are paired with an industry advisor who provides financial assistance and mentorship throughout the six- to seven-month design, build, and test process. The annual RoboBots competition is held on the last Saturday in April, where teams compete for best interview with a panel of judges, best documentation, best engineered, and winner of the cage battles.

Through RoboBots, students explore career pathways and educational opportunities in manufacturing, while manufacturers connect directly with the region’s future workforce.

This educational and workforce initiative was started by the AWT Foundation. The AWT Foundation promotes rewarding manufacturing careers for the long-term sustainability of manufacturing.

Students and Parents

Educators and RoboBots

Manufacturers and RoboBots

RoboBots and JuniorBots are a great way to learn about the many career paths in manufacturing. You will experience firsthand how to design, engineer, create documentation, assemble, and fabricate a robot with your team and industry advisor. You will be connected with professionals who are excited to see your growth. Contact your school and ask to be a part of RoboBots!

Ask your school about their RoboBots or JuniorBots team. Ready to start a team? Ask a teacher to contact AWT. Stop by the competition on April 25, 2026, and see RoboBots in action.

Contact AWT

AWT is a support to you as an educator, connecting you with resources for your students. RoboBots is a great way to introduce manufacturing to your middle and high school students. All you need to get started is interested students and a coach (that can be you!) AWT will guide you through the rest. Review the informational flyer to learn more.

Contact Monica Hammil, Program Coordinator, to get started.

We recommend contacting AWT before the school year begins to secure your industry advisor and team members. Teams will need to be in place by the first of October to ensure students are ready for Kick-Off and have enough time to complete their robot.

Download the Flyer Contact Monica Hammil

Invest in future talent by becoming an Industry Advisor to a RoboBots or JuniorBots team. The Industry Advisor is a technically inclined person who is comfortable using tools to help the team assemble and make parts for their bot. They meet with the team during their scheduled meeting times (normally two hours per week from October until April). During March and April, the time commitment may increase due to testing. The competition is on the last Saturday in April.
Sponsoring the RoboBots program through membership helps shape the future of manufacturing right here in Northeast Ohio. Learn about becoming a member of AWT.

Ask About Advising a Team AWT Membership

RoboBots Film and News Coverage

RoboBots has been connecting students to manufacturing opportunities for over 15 years. Watch our documentary film to learn about the program’s beginnings from founders Roger Sustar and Alyson Scott.

See coverage of our 15th-anniversary competition on Channel 3 News’s Growing STEM segment.

Watch the Documentary

Channel 3 News

2026 RoboBots Competition

Congratulations to the winners of the AWT RoboBots and JuniorBots competition for 2026!

RoboBots

1st Place – MHS Robotics, norT….cubed

2nd Place – Mentor Community Team, Skorpion X

3rd Place – Lakeside Dragon Divas, The Steel Dragon

Best Engineered – MHS Robotics, norT….cubed

Best Interview – Madison Hephaestus, Steel Destroyer

Best Documentation – Riverside Meltdown, Spinlayden

JuniorBots

1st Place iSTEM Megatotz, Tubototz

2nd Place Memorial Robotics, Dynamite

3rd Place iSTEM The Cyber Pirates, Jack Sparrow

Thank you to all of the sponsors, industry advisors, coaches, and volunteers. The students have gained knowledge and life experience through the program and certainly had fun!

2026 Program

Watch the Recorded Livestream

Volunteer and be a part of the action!

It takes a lot of help to make RoboBots run smoothly for our students and their families. You can make a difference! Click below to see how you can volunteer.

Learn How to Volunteer for RoboBots

ROBOBOTS AND JUNIORBOTS INFORMATION FOR EDUCATORS

For starting a RoboBots team, educators should consider:

RoboBots is designed for students in grades 9-12 to build a 15-pound combat robot.
The program kicks off at the end of October and continues through the end of April. The competition is always the last Saturday in April, but teams must also attend Interview & Safety Day on the last Friday in April.
- For the 2025-2026 season, Interview & Safety Day will be Friday, April 24th, 2026, and Competition Day will be Saturday, April 25th, 2026.
The ideal team size is somewhere between 6 and 12 students, although there is no minimum or maximum.
Teams are sponsored by local manufacturers who cover the cost of materials, machining, and assist teams by providing an industry advisor.
Schools must provide a coach, teacher, or other advisor to work with the students.
If you are interested in starting a RoboBots team, please reach out to Monica Hammil at monica_hammil@thinkmfg.com.

For starting a JuniorBots team, educators should consider:

JuniorBots is designed for students in grades 6-8 to build a 3-pound combat robot.
The program kicks off at the end of October and continues through the end of April. The competition is always the last Saturday in April.
- JuniorBots teams do not attend Interview & Safety Day.
- For the 2025-2026 season, Competition Day will be Saturday, April 25th, 2026.
The ideal team size is somewhere between 4 and 6 students.
- For JuniorBots, there will be a maximum of four teams per school beginning in the 2025-26 season.
Teams are sponsored by local manufacturers who cover the cost of materials, machining, and assist teams by providing an industry advisor.
Schools must provide a coach, teacher, or other advisor to work with the students.
If you are interested in starting a JuniorBots team, please reach out to Monica Hammil at monica_hammil@thinkmfg.com.

“My son was a senior in high school in a tech program housed at Lakeland when his class participated in the RoboBots competition. His excitement for this project was palpable and the dedication of all involved was most impressive. The professionals from our community that worked with these dedicated students for long hours to create a machine to go to battle was more than touching and impressive. My sons’ team and their business leader worked straight through the night the night before the competition to make sure they had the best of their best to go head to head. Sadly their in the ring results weren’t want they hoped for but the lessons learned were priceless. As a parent and a business professional I can’t say enough about the impact of this program to our youth and the future of manufacturing in our community. I’m proud to say my son is now 23 and a welder and he truly loves creating and building,”

Carolyn K. Tippie
CPA
“I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I am impressed with you and the whole robotics competition. Last Fall when I came to the meeting at Fredon, I had no idea what an undertaking the project is for everyone involved, and the constant time commitment to make the project work. Thank you for all of your kindness and patience, and for all that you did to make the event happen at such a high level. I am very glad that we were able to be a part of it, and I know it will impact our students’ lives in Euclid for a long time to come.”

Bob Torrelli
Physics Teacher at Euclid High School
“It’s an activity that students love. They are exposed to manufacturing, innovation, team work, and…. destruction. A win-win for all involved! Big thanks and shout out to all the staff and volunteers that make this happen!”

Teacher

In The News: RoboBots Featured on WKYC Channel 3

WKYC Channel 3We are proud to announce that RoboBots was featured on WKYC Channel 3 News in their Growing STEM segment on April 30, 2025. RoboBots brings together students from various counties and schools across northeastern Ohio. In the RoboBots program, students gain exposure to manufacturing careers, engage in hands-on STEM learning, and have the opportunity to work collaboratively as a team. Watch the story below!