Our Story: Since 2016, Centre County 4-H Robotics has been using space generously donated by Channel Communications and WHVL. This space allowed us to grow our program from a single team of about 20 high school students to the thriving program we are today, reaching more than 130 kids from 4th-12th grade across 14 competition robotics teams. Unfortunately, due to changes in the building, we need to relocate to a new facility by September of 2026. Beyond that uncertainty, we’re simply outgrowing the space! The challenges of operating such diverse programs with kids using LEGO and power tools in the same space, and the need to support multiple clubs at the same time, can’t be fixed in this space. Quite simply, we can’t continue to meet the demand for these STEM programs in our current space!

Our Need: Our goal in 2026 is to move to a larger space with a multi-year lease. We are seeking between 6,000-8,000 square feet of space to house our practice fields, classrooms, machine shop, and manufacturing space. This larger space will also allow us to host robotics competitions for other local teams, workshops, camps, and more. We are actively engaging with local landlords and business owners in hopes of finding a community partner willing to offer us space at a discount, while also aggressively pursuing new funding to pay rent as needed.

Our Campaign: The goal of our “Ignite STEM in Central PA” campaign is to raise $100,000 in 2026 to allow us to confidently move from the WHVL building to a new home. By securing a lease in a larger space, we can continue to grow our robotics club and expand into additional domains like AI and Cybersecurity.

How can you help? There are many ways that you can help us reach this campaign goal:

• Donate: Make a tax-deductible donation to support the mission of CentreSTEM.

• Sponsor: Become a sponsor of Centre County 4-H Robotics to support the club and be recognized as part of our sponsorship team.

• Help us with space: If you know of a meeting space that fits our needs and can be made available as a tax-deductible donation or below-market lease, please contact us using our Contact Form or by emailing us at info@centrestem.org so we can follow up.