A 501(c)(3) dedicated to inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders and innovators since 2003

What We Do

We're the support organization behind local student robotics teams

Rugrunners Robotics raises funds, recruit and coordinate volunteer mentors, and provide the meetings, training, equipment, and competition support that let students in New York's Capital Region design, build, program, and compete with robots of their own creation.

The teams we support:

FRC® Team 20 — "The Rocketeers"

Competes in the FIRST® Robotics Competition^*

A long-running team rooted in the Shenendehowa school community of Clifton Park.

FTC® Team 32594 — "Error 101"

Competes in the FIRST® Tech Challenge^*

Students design and build compact robots for head-to-head competition.

Competitive Robotics Season

Each season begins with the announcement of a new engineering challenge, and the teams have a matter of weeks to take a robot from concept to competition. During the build season, students on the teams we support — guided by volunteer mentors — do the real work of a professional engineering team:

Mechanical design and fabrication — CAD, machining, and assembly of competition robots, from compact FTC machines to full-size FRC robots weighing over a hundred pounds
Software and controls — programming autonomous routines, sensor integration, and driver controls
Electrical systems — wiring, power distribution, and pneumatics
Strategy and scouting — analyzing gameplay data to make competitive decisions
Business and outreach — fundraising, sponsor relations, and community demonstrations run by students

The season culminates in regional competition events, where students put their machine — and their teamwork — to the test against teams from across the region and beyond.

Mentorship & Training

About 30 volunteer mentors — engineers, programmers, machinists, educators, and program alumni — work alongside students throughout the year. Mentors don't build the robot for the students; they teach the skills and habits that let students do it themselves: safe shop practices, disciplined engineering process, version control, design reviews, and professional communication.

Training continues in the off-season with skill-building workshops, demonstrations at community events, and preparation for leadership roles on the team.

Facilities & Community Partnerships

Delivering these programs takes a community. Rugrunners builds alliances with schools, universities, professionals, and corporate sponsors to provide what students need — including workshop and practice space. Our students have benefited from access to a full-size practice field hosted at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY, where teams from around the region refine their robots between competitions.

Local businesses and community sponsors fund materials, competition registration, and equipment — and every sponsor dollar is spent on the program, not on overhead. Learn how to support our work →

^* FIRST®, FIRST® Robotics Competition, FRC®, FIRST® Tech Challenge, and FTC® are registered trademarks of FIRST® (www.firstinspires.org) which is not overseeing, involved with, or responsible for this activity, product, or service. Rugrunners Robotics Inc. is an independent nonprofit that supports student teams participating in these programs.