STEM education for rural kids

Where Education Inspires Engineering Innovation

A nonprofit running robotics camps and competition teams for kids in Williston, North Dakota. From summer camps for 6-year-olds to competition teams for high schoolers, we help kids in Williston build, code, and compete.

Our Mission

No child should be limited by their zip code.

Provide STEM educational opportunities to kids in our rural communities through robotics competitions and camps. No child should be limited by their location and access to STEM education.

In big cities, kids grow up with science museums, after-school robotics clubs, and college campuses next door. Out here, they don't. Williston Robotics exists to close that gap — running the camps, teams, and competitions that turn rural kids into the engineers, programmers, and inventors of the next generation.

Every program we run is volunteer-led and built around three ideas: build with your hands, solve real problems, and help your teammates win.

Founded

2019

Based in

Williston, ND

Ages served

6 through 18

Programs offered

What is FIRST?

We're part of a global robotics movement.

FIRST — For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology — is a global nonprofit founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen. Its mission is to inspire kids in kindergarten through high school to become science and technology leaders, through hands-on robotics programs that teach engineering, teamwork, and what FIRST calls Gracious Professionalism®. Williston Robotics runs two of FIRST's competitive programs.

FLL

FIRST LEGO League

Ages 9–14 · Grades 4–8

Each fall, FIRST releases a yearly real-world challenge — past themes have covered shipping, energy, and biodiversity. Teams have a few months to design, build, and program a LEGO robot to complete missions on a themed playing field.

Beyond the robot, every team also tackles an innovation project — researching a real problem in the year's theme and pitching a solution. Teams compete at regional tournaments judged on the robot, the project, and core values like teamwork.

FLL is the on-ramp to FIRST. It's where kids fall in love with engineering.

FTC

FIRST Tech Challenge

Ages 12–18 · Grades 7–12

FTC is the next step up. Teams design and build a much more sophisticated robot — using metal parts, motors, sensors, and serious code — to compete in a 12-foot game field that changes every year.

At each tournament, teams form alliances on the fly and play matches together, scoring points for shared goals. Top teams advance from regionals to state, and from state to the FIRST World Championship.

It's competitive, demanding, and unforgettable. Many FTC alums go on to engineering careers — and many credit it as the reason why.

Want to start your own FIRST team?

Whether you're a parent, teacher, or community organizer anywhere in the region, we can help you launch an FLL or FTC team in your town.

How to Start a Team →

Programs

Pick a camp or join a team.

All programs meet at 822 2nd Ave E, Williston. Click any open program to register.

Summer Camps

Crowns and Code

$35

Dates: Monday, June 8, 2026
Time: 10:00am–12:00pm
Ages: Ages 6–12
Capacity: 20 kids

A one-morning camp where robotics, coding, and pageant power collide — for curious kids ready to rule both the stage and the lab. Come dressed in all your princess best. Every kid will go home with a crown or tiara.

3-D Printing Basics

$40

Dates: July 1, 2026 · or · July 8, 2026
Time: 1:00pm–4:00pm
Ages: Ages 10–14
Capacity: 10 kids per session

A single-afternoon intro to 3-D printing: design a simple part on a computer, send it to the printer, and take it home. Two identical sessions — pick one date.

Sumobot Camp

$60

Dates: July 15–16, 2026
Time: 1:30pm–4:30pm
Ages: Ages 11–14
Capacity: 16 kids

Two-day advanced programming camp where kids build and code small robots that battle in a sumo ring. Some prior coding or robotics experience helps but isn't required.

Summer Robotics Camp

$150

Dates: August 3–7, 2026 (Mon–Fri)
Time: AM session 9:00am–12:00pm · PM session 1:30pm–4:30pm
Ages: Ages 6–10
Capacity: 20 kids per session

A full week introducing younger kids to robotics through hands-on building and beginner programming. Pick AM or PM — your child attends the same session each day, Monday through Friday.

Competition Teams

FIRST LEGO League Competition Team

$175

Dates: August 20, 2026 → February 2027
Time: Thursdays 4:00–6:00pm · or · Fridays 1:00–3:30pm
Ages: Ages 9–14 (4th–8th grade)
Capacity: 20 kids per session

A full season on a competitive FLL team — design, build, and program a LEGO robot for regional competition while developing a research project. Two practice sessions a week to choose from.

Registration opens July 2026Email us to be notified

FIRST Tech Challenge Team

$175

Dates: August 20, 2026 → May 2027
Time: Thursdays 6:30pm–8:30pm
Ages: Ages 12–18 (7th–12th grade)
Capacity: 15 kids

Compete on Williston's FTC team — design, build, and program a sophisticated robot for regional and state competitions. A serious commitment with serious rewards.

Registration opens July 2026Email us to be notified

Our Team

Meet your coaches.

The volunteers who make Williston Robotics possible.

Rebecca Schug

Founder · FLL & FTC Coach

Rebecca Schug founded Williston Robotics in 2019 to bring competitive robotics and STEM opportunities to families in northwest North Dakota. A mom of three, she has coached FIRST LEGO League teams every season since launching the program in Williston, and in 2023 she stepped up to coach FIRST Tech Challenge as well.

What drives Rebecca is the conviction that rural kids deserve the same hands-on engineering, teamwork, and competition experiences as kids in bigger cities. Under her leadership, Williston Robotics has grown from a single LEGO team into a community-wide STEM program serving kids from kindergarten through high school.

Susie Schug

Alumna · Camps & Outreach Lead

Susie Schug is Williston Robotics' first success story. She joined our very first FIRST LEGO League team in 2019, the year the program launched — competed for four seasons, then moved up to the FIRST Tech Challenge team where she competed for three more.

Today she's a sophomore at the University of North Dakota, double-majoring in Computer Science and Communication. Between classes she plans and runs robotics camps and STEM outreach events for kids across the state, bringing the same hands-on experience that shaped her to communities that don't yet have programs of their own.

Susie also competes in the Miss America pageant, where she's made STEM her platform — she demonstrates her robots on stage to encourage girls to find their own way into science, engineering, and code.

Kelly Cobb

FLL Coach · Innovation Project lead

Kelly Cobb has coached FIRST LEGO League teams with Williston Robotics since the program began in 2019. A home-school mom of three, Kelly brings a teacher's instincts to her coaching — and over the years she has become Williston Robotics' resident expert on the Innovation Project, the research-and-presentation half of every FLL season.

She's known for helping young teams pick a real-world problem, dig into the research, and stand confidently in front of judges to share what they've learned. For many of the kids she has coached, Kelly's encouragement is the reason they discovered they could speak up about ideas they care about.

Sharon Grover

FLL & FTC Coach

Sharon Grover is a mentor and coach with Williston Robotics, bringing a strong background in accounting, organization, and leadership to support student success. Raised in a military family, she spent part of her youth overseas in Germany, where she met her husband. Their journey with the U.S. Air Force took them across multiple states and countries before settling in North Dakota in 2012 and later Williston in 2015.

Sharon is a proud mother of five children, ages 7 to 17, who are actively involved in robotics, 4-H, figure skating, and archery. Her passion for youth development extends beyond robotics, as she also volunteers with a local 4-H club and children's ministry at her church.

She began her involvement with Williston Robotics by mentoring students in judge presentations and went on to coach a FIRST LEGO League team during the 2023–2024 season, focusing on the Innovation Project. She now also coaches within FIRST Tech Challenge, where she enjoys helping students build confidence, strengthen communication skills, and bring their ideas to life.

Sharon is passionate about supporting youth in reaching their full potential and helping create opportunities for them to learn, grow, and succeed.

Iain Gual

FTC Coach · Engineering Mentor

Iain Gual brings real-world engineering chops to Williston Robotics. A local engineer by profession and a FIRST alumnus himself — he competed on FIRST robotics teams in both high school and college — Iain began coaching the Williston FTC team in 2025.

He's the coach kids turn to when they need a robot to actually work, helping them master drivetrains, gear ratios, structural design, and the dozens of mechanical decisions that separate a good robot from a winning one. Iain is living proof of what FIRST hopes every student becomes.

We'll Come To You

Bring a robotics camp to your community.

Our coaching team is happy to travel to other rural towns and run a robotics or STEM camp on-site. Every detail is customizable to your community's needs.

Email us for details

Any age group

From kindergarten through high school — pick the range that fits your kids.

Any time frame

From a single afternoon clinic to a multi-week camp.

Your topic

Beginner robotics, FLL prep, 3-D printing, programming basics — pick the focus.

At your location

Schools, libraries, community centers — anywhere you can host.

In the Lab