Established Next session not scheduled
In-person workshops South Brunswick, NJ
Our original course in South Brunswick, New Jersey. In small groups, students wire circuits, program Arduinos in C++, design parts in CAD, and build a final project.
Programs
Programs
RoboZone's established program is an in-person robotics course in South Brunswick, New Jersey. We're also planning free online workshops and exploring local branches in other communities. Here's where each one stands.
Being explored Dates not announced
Online classes
We're planning free, 60-minute online workshops in circuit simulation and CAD. Students will build virtual circuits and create digital 3D models, with no physical circuit building or 3D printing.
- Free
- 60 minutes, weekly
- Circuit simulation + CAD
- Entirely online
Pilot dates, eligible audiences, registration, and platform arrangements are not yet confirmed.
Being explored No other branches yet
Local branches
Local groups in other communities that would run hands-on workshops using RoboZone's teaching approach.
We'd start with a single pilot branch. Approval, support, and money arrangements are still being worked out.
In-person course · South Brunswick, NJ
Robotics from the first circuit up
Over eight weeks of in-person workshops, students wire real circuits, program them in C++ on an Arduino, design parts in CAD, and finish with a project of their own.
At a glance
- Grades
- Grades 4–8 Confirmed for each session when it's announced.
- Experience
- None needed Challenges come in different levels, so experienced students have room to go further.
- Format
- 8 weeks of in-person workshops, about 2 hours each Small groups taught by high school mentors.
- Where
- Code Ninjas, Kendall Park Since our first session (held in a garage), our workshops have met here. The next session's location will be listed when it's announced.
- Cost
- Listed before you register Families in past sessions received billing details by email after signing up.
These details describe the in-person course. Online classes or branches, if they launch, will list their own.
Established Next session not scheduled
The next South Brunswick in-person session has not been scheduled.
The course itself is established: it's what RoboZone has taught since 2024. Email us to ask about future dates. That's a question, not a registration.
Ask about future sessions
In-person course · What students learn
Four stages, eight weeks
The in-person course is grouped by skill rather than by week. Each stage builds on hardware and code students already have working.
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Stage 1 · Circuits
Light up an LED
Students start with real parts on a breadboard: an Arduino, jumper wires, resistors, and LEDs. Once the LED lights up, they learn why.
- Arduino, breadboards, wires, resistors, and LEDs
- Voltage, current, and resistance
- Ohm's law and reading resistor values
Diagram A basic LED circuit. Current flows from the Arduino pin through the resistor and LED back to ground. The resistor keeps the current low enough that the LED doesn't burn out. -
Stage 2 · Code and input
Make it respond
Next, students add a button and write the C++ code that connects it to the LED. Then they change the program so the button works in reverse.
- Button-controlled LED circuits
- Inverted-button programming challenge
- Circuits with two LEDs
- Reading schematics and using capacitors
In-person workshop · Summer 2024 Laptops and breadboard circuits side by side, with a mentor at the table. -
Stage 3 · Motion and CAD
Make it move, then design the parts
Students wire and program servo motors, meet transistors, and start using computer-aided design (CAD) in Onshape to model parts like an organizer.
- Motor types, with a focus on servos
- Servo circuits and extension challenges
- Transistors
- CAD in Onshape: designing organizers and other models
In-person workshop · Summer 2024 Designing a part in Onshape, with the electronics from earlier stages still on the table. -
Stage 4 · Final project
Build something of your own
To finish, students design and 3D print parts, build and program a minigame circuit, and present what they made.
- Designing and 3D printing project parts
- Building and programming a minigame circuit
- Presenting the finished project
Student builds · Summer 2025 3D-printed project cases.
Tools students use: an Arduino board programmed in C++, breadboards and electronic components, Onshape for CAD, and a 3D printer.
In-person course · What students build
Working builds at every stage
Students build something at every stage, so their progress is right there on the table.
The final project
The in-person course ends with a project that brings together 3D-printed parts, a circuit, and code. Students present what they built. One student built a machine that waters a plant automatically.
More student builds from past sessions
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Summer 2025 A 3D-printed panel with a servo and an LED. -
Summer 2025 A project in a 3D-printed case, wired on a breadboard and powered by a 9V battery. -
Winter 2024–25 A 3D-printed box with LEDs and a servo, wired to an Arduino-compatible board. -
Winter 2024–25 A 3D-printed box with a servo and a ball.
Built in the in-person course
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Button-controlled LEDs
Wire a pushbutton and an LED, write the code that links them, then rewrite it so pressing the button does the opposite.
Concepts: Digital input and output / C++ on Arduino
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Servo mechanisms
Connect a servo motor, program it to move to set positions, and take on extension challenges once it works.
Concepts: Motors / Control in code
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CAD organizers
Design an organizer or another model in Onshape, a CAD program that runs in the browser.
Concepts: Computer-aided design / 3D modeling
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Minigame with printed parts
Combine a circuit, code, and 3D-printed parts into a small game, then present it to the group.
Concepts: 3D printing / Putting it all together
In-person course · Who teaches
Taught by high school mentors
RoboZone is run by high school students. 15+ mentors have been involved in our in-person workshops since 2024.
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Ask early, ask often
Mentors work alongside students at the table. Questions are part of every workshop, not an interruption.
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Debugging is part of the work
A wire in the wrong row or a missing semicolon happens to everyone. Finding the problem is how students learn how circuits and code actually work.
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Room to go further
Challenges come in different levels, and some lessons add extension challenges, like taking a servo build further. Experienced students still have something to work on.
Being explored Dates not announced
Online classes
We're planning free, 60-minute online workshops in circuit simulation and CAD. Students will build virtual circuits and create digital 3D models, with no physical circuit building or 3D printing.
Families outside South Brunswick can't learn with RoboZone today. Free online workshops are how we plan to change that, teaching the same ideas step by step, entirely on screen.
Decided
- Cost
- Free All online workshops, not just a first group. No tuition, fees, kits, or required purchases.
- Sessions
- 60 minutes, once a week Course length and dates will be announced together.
- What students do
- Circuit simulation and CAD Build and program virtual circuits and create digital 3D models.
- Equipment
- A computer with internet access No physical electronics, kits, 3D printing, or paid software. Platforms will be listed before registration.
What students will do
- Build and test circuits on virtual breadboards
- Explore voltage, current, and resistance
- Program simulated microcontrollers and debug the results
- Create, edit, and present digital 3D models in CAD
- Finish with a project: a circuit simulation, a CAD model, or both
Everything is done on a computer. There's no physical circuit building, assembly, or 3D printing.
Online workshops haven't launched. Class dates and registration have not been announced. Pilot dates, eligible audiences, registration, and platform arrangements are not yet confirmed.
They're separate from the in-person course: they won't use its venue, schedule, fees, or physical equipment, and its grade range doesn't automatically apply.
The robot arm on our homepage is an on-screen illustration of servo angles. It isn't an online class.
Email us about online classes
Emailing us is a question. It doesn't enroll you or add you to a list.
Being explored No other branches yet
Local branches
Local groups in other communities that would run hands-on workshops using RoboZone's teaching approach.
A branch would be a group in another community running hands-on workshops the way we do in South Brunswick: small groups, real hardware, and mentors at the table. No other branches exist yet, and there's no application or approval process. We'd start with a single pilot branch. Approval, support, and money arrangements are still being worked out.
- Hosting is not the same as a branch
- A school, library, or community space that hosts RoboZone workshops is a host. That's how our in-person workshops have run, and it doesn't make the host a branch.
- Fiscal sponsorship stays with RoboZone
- RoboZone is fiscally sponsored by Hack Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. That arrangement covers RoboZone. It wouldn't automatically extend to other groups or future branches.
About RoboZone's programs
Is RoboZone only in New Jersey?
For now, yes. RoboZone started in South Brunswick, New Jersey, and all of our workshops so far have been held in person there. We're planning free online workshops and exploring local branches in other communities, but neither has launched.
Are online classes running yet?
Not yet. We're planning free, 60-minute online workshops in circuit simulation and CAD. Class dates and registration have not been announced. If you're interested, you can email us; that's a question, not a registration.
Can I enroll now?
Not at the moment. The next in-person session in South Brunswick hasn't been scheduled. Free online workshops are being planned, but dates and registration haven't been announced. The Program updates page always shows where each one stands.
Will online classes cost anything?
No. All RoboZone online workshops will be free: no tuition, fees, kits, or required purchases. Donations to RoboZone are separate and never affect a student's place.
What will students need for online classes?
A computer with internet access. Everything happens on screen: students build virtual circuits and create digital 3D models, with no physical electronics, kits, or 3D printing. We'll list the specific free platforms and device requirements before registration opens.
How do local workshops relate to future branches?
Our South Brunswick workshops are where RoboZone's teaching approach comes from. A branch would be a group in another community running workshops with that approach. The idea is being explored: no other branches exist yet, and there's no set process for starting one.
Can a school or library talk to you about hosting?
Yes. Near South Brunswick, a school, library, or community space can talk with us about hosting in-person workshops. Hosting workshops doesn't make an organization a RoboZone branch. If you're farther away, we're glad to discuss a possible program in your community, keeping in mind that branches are still being explored.
How can I ask about future offerings?
Email team@robozonenj.org, or use the links on the Program updates page for local sessions, online classes, mentoring, or hosting. Emailing us doesn't reserve a spot or add you to a mailing list.
About the in-person course
Does my child need any experience?
No. The in-person course starts with lighting a single LED on a breadboard. Challenges come in different levels, so students who already know some electronics or code still have something to work on.
What grades is the in-person course for?
Grades 4–8. We confirm the grade range for each session when it's announced.
What will they build?
LED and button circuits, servo mechanisms, parts designed in Onshape, and a final minigame that combines a circuit, code, and 3D-printed parts. One student built an automatic plant-watering machine.
Where and when has it met?
Our first session, in summer 2024, was held in a garage. Since then, our workshops have been held at Code Ninjas in Kendall Park. The course runs eight weeks, with workshops of about two hours each. The next session will list its own dates, times, and location.
How much does it cost?
The fee is listed with each session before you register. In past sessions, families received billing details by email after signing up. If you have questions about cost, email us.
How has sign-up worked?
For past sessions, families filled out a short form on this site with the student's name and grade and a guardian's contact details, then received a confirmation and billing details by email, usually within about two business days. When the next session opens, its sign-up will appear on the Program updates page.
Find the right next step
See where each program stands, or ask us about future in-person sessions, online classes, mentoring, or a program in your community.