Yellow Brick Robotics promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) education for elementary and middle school students to build knowledge that will help them as they grow. Whether inventing new creations or guiding boys and girls in scientific investigation to understand how things work, Yellow Brick Robotics helps to prepare young minds for the future.
The Mission of Yellow Brick Robotics is to create a fun, learning environment where children feel comfortable to ask questions and explore without pressure to conform, where they feel cared for and accepted, and leave our programs better in some way than when they came in.
From the beginning
The idea of Yellow Brick Robotics was formed in 2015 as I observed the world becoming ever more dependent on technology. As a young person, I realized my own need to learn and grow, which in turn led me to talk with others who were realizing the same thing. From that, a business idea was formed to teach kids about robotics and Yellow Brick Robotics was born.
As we started putting things in motion, we quickly realized there was so much more that could be done through our programs than traditional classroom style teaching could provide. Instead of having children building designs from an instruction booklet and filling out worksheets, we could teach children principals of physics and creative science which would enable them to design and construct amazing things from their minds. We would start small with simple machines, build up to mechanization, expand into coding, and allow students to bring their creations to life through robotics. Those ideas ultimately led us to create an environment where children have the freedom to ask questions and explore their individual interests; where they can experiment to find solutions on their own - free from the fear of making mistakes or doing something wrong. In the end, I believe we created an environment that meets individual boys and girls where they are by defining success based on each individual's progress and needs.
Yellow Brick Robotics was officially registered with the US Gov't and the State of PA as a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization for educational purposes in June 2017. Our first classes were held at the Lebanon Community Library that summer. Afterwards, we formed collaborative partnerships with the Lebanon Valley Council on the Arts in September 2017, Harrisburg Area Community Collage's Lebanon Campus and Making A Difference of Lebanon PA in January 2018, Lebanon School District in February 2018, the Salvation Army and Commonwealth Charter Academy in May 2018, and the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in September 2018. Although we have conducted classes in a variety of locations, with a diversity of themes, since Yellow Brick Robotics was first conceived, April 2018 saw our first 31 students graduate from an entire twelve week program and more then 200 children attended our week long summer camps. Now, as we look to the future, we are grateful to all those who have joined us in friendship and partnership. We look forward to strengthening those relationships and making new, as we strive to serve children and families at the in Central PA.
As we started putting things in motion, we quickly realized there was so much more that could be done through our programs than traditional classroom style teaching could provide. Instead of having children building designs from an instruction booklet and filling out worksheets, we could teach children principals of physics and creative science which would enable them to design and construct amazing things from their minds. We would start small with simple machines, build up to mechanization, expand into coding, and allow students to bring their creations to life through robotics. Those ideas ultimately led us to create an environment where children have the freedom to ask questions and explore their individual interests; where they can experiment to find solutions on their own - free from the fear of making mistakes or doing something wrong. In the end, I believe we created an environment that meets individual boys and girls where they are by defining success based on each individual's progress and needs.
Yellow Brick Robotics was officially registered with the US Gov't and the State of PA as a 501(c)3, nonprofit organization for educational purposes in June 2017. Our first classes were held at the Lebanon Community Library that summer. Afterwards, we formed collaborative partnerships with the Lebanon Valley Council on the Arts in September 2017, Harrisburg Area Community Collage's Lebanon Campus and Making A Difference of Lebanon PA in January 2018, Lebanon School District in February 2018, the Salvation Army and Commonwealth Charter Academy in May 2018, and the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in September 2018. Although we have conducted classes in a variety of locations, with a diversity of themes, since Yellow Brick Robotics was first conceived, April 2018 saw our first 31 students graduate from an entire twelve week program and more then 200 children attended our week long summer camps. Now, as we look to the future, we are grateful to all those who have joined us in friendship and partnership. We look forward to strengthening those relationships and making new, as we strive to serve children and families at the in Central PA.
ALISHER AMINOV
"I see the world tearing itself apart and I want to help put it back together."
~ Alisher Aminov
Alisher attended Mikroskil Robotics Institute in Indonesia, internationally recognized for competitive robotics, for 2 1/2 years, where he graduated with a certificate in advanced robotics. After moving back to PA in 2015, Alisher began attending Commonwealth Charter Academy where he participated actively in extracurricular STEM education and was later accepted into their STEM Conservatory. He is a gifted student in both advanced mathematics and science programs. In addition, Alisher completed a professional development program in May 2018 from Carnegie Mellon University, through the National Institute of Robotics, to be (re)certified as an educator of EV3/Mindstorm robotics.
"Working with children is my passion; there is nothing I would rather do. I have been working with younger children for as long as I can remember. I believe it is essential in the world we live in today for everyone to increase their knowledge of machines and technology, and it is important, even more so, to begin when you are young. I want to help children develop tools that will expand their horizons as they grow and develop in the world. Children are our future; that is no cliche. I hope to create a comfortable environment at Yellow Brick where kids can collaborate and learn."
