Mark Palatucci, a PhD student at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University had an idea to use Lego Mindstorms Robots to help kids develop an appreciation for science. The goal of the project also included  learning life lessons such as problem solving, patience, and teamwork. Mark tested the idea with his colleague Boris Sofman, a Big Brother in the Pittsburgh program,  who spent a day building the robot with his Little Brother Thomas. Mark realized that having a mentor there to guide the child during the building process was key to the project’s success.

With this in mind, he reached out to BBBS. Together, “Build a Robot” days were implemented for the mentor/child matches Bigs/Littles tackle the assembly of the robot with the assistance of Mark and other CMU students. Littles learn how to see a project through from start to finish. Each robot kit costs $250, but generous donations have enabled over 50 of our matches to receive a robot kit.

 See pictures from the Build a Robots Days!>>

To learn more about 100 Robots for 100 Kids visit the official blog. or contact Cheryl Jones at cjones@bbspgh.org