
About Us
OUR START
In July, 2018 Tesla selected the Desert Research Institute’s Science Alive program to receive Tesla’s Nevada K-12 Education Invesment Funding. The Nevada Robotics program was born from this initial investment.
OUR VISION
For all students across Nevada to think creatively and solve complex problems through hands-on robotics education.
OUR MISSION
To collaborate with community and industry partners in delivering engaging robotics education to Nevada’s K – 12 students.
OUR PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
K – 12 EDUCATION
- Provide ongoing robotics training to in-service and pre-service teachers across Nevada.
- Develop and distribute robotics curricula and resources to all teachers.
INFORMAL EDUCATION
- Engage students with after-school robotics programs, targeting Title 1 schools.
- Support competitive robotics programs.
- Develop a workforce with robotics knowledge and experience.
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
- Host and/or participate in Family STEM and robotics nights.
- Host Girls in STEM and robotics events.
- Connect robotics programs with mentoring opportunities.
OUTCOMES
- Increase Nevada’s workforce pipeline of engineers, scientists, and technical professionals.
- Increase the number of students entering STEM fields in Nevada’s two and four-year colleges and universities.
- Increase access to robotics opportunities in rural and low-income urban communities across Nevada.
- Increase diversity and inclusion of STEM and robotics for young women, and other underrepresented populations.


INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS
- Our advisory council shares its expertise and outreach connections with the robotics community.
- Create connections among industry, students, and robotics.
- Build relationship networks to help robotics teams afford the equipment, competitions, travel expenses, and ongoing teacher training.
- Work in collaboration with our statewide partners to develop robotics programs for all Nevada K – 12 students.
Want to get involved? Sign up to Volunteer or Mentor!
NEVADA ROBOTICS ROADMAP
OUR ROBOTICS PARTNERS
Nevada Robotics works in partnership with two non-profit robotics programs:
FIRST Nevada and the REC Foundation. Click on each to learn more.
OUR ADVISORY COUNCIL
OUR TEAM
AJ Long
Robotics and STEM Education Administrator
Phone: 775-830-3287
Email: AJ.Long@dri.edu
Chelsea Ontiveros
Office Coordinator & Website Admin
Phone: 775-673-7380
Email: Chelsea.Ontiveros@dri.edu
Chris King
STEM Education Outreach Coordinator & Website Admin
Email: Christopher.King@dri.edu
Shay Hart
STEM Education Outreach Coordinator & Social Media Administrator
Email: Shay.Hart@dri.edu