afrobot
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Season 1  ·  2027–28  ·  United States

Build what your community needs.

AfroBot is a national youth program in AI agents and robotics. Teams spend the fall solving a real problem, then compete at regional events in winter and a national championship in spring.

Born from the African diaspora. Built for every kid who’s been left out of tech.

Register interestHow it works
Countdown to the first competition DC/Maryland Regional Saturday 11 December 2027 · 9:00 AM ET Proposed date
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A big group of kids and mentors pose with the robots they built, three robots on the floor in front
Build day, McKinney, Texas, 2024

Get involved

Why AfroBot

Most team robotics programs cost $1,000 or more a season. AfroBot is designed to cost about a tenth.

Registration, a robot kit, a field set and event fees add up. For a well-funded school that's a line item. For many Black, Hispanic and Latino families, and the churches and community groups that serve them, it's the reason a team never starts.

Our lead track runs on a laptop or Chromebook. Robots come from a loaner library and return at the end of the season. Waivers cover teams that need them.

$100

Agents team

Junior and Senior. Per team, per season.

$50

Discover team

Ages 6–9. Per team, per season.

+$75

Robotics add-on

Loaner robot kit and field access. $100 refundable deposit.

$0

With a waiver

Funded by team sponsors, for any team that needs it.

Proposed fees for Season 1 (2027–28), confirmed before registration opens. What’s included

How it works

One season. One theme. Months to build.

  1. 01

    Season launch

    A new theme each year, on challenges that matter to our communities, here and in the places our families come from: water, health, food.

    August 2027 · proposed
  2. 02

    Form a team

    Three to eight kids from a school, a congregation, a community center or a group of families.

    Registration opens June 2027
  3. 03

    Two coaches

    Parents, teachers or mentors. No technical background needed. We train and support every coach.

    Summer 2027
  4. 04

    Build all fall

    Talk to the people affected, design an AI agent, program a robot, test it and try again.

    August–December 2027
  5. 05

    Regionals

    DC/Maryland, Atlanta, Houston and Dallas–Fort Worth, each with a weather back-up date.

    December 2027–January 2028 · proposed
  6. 06

    Nationals

    The strongest teams meet at the national championship in Dallas.

    April 2028 · proposed

Season 1 follows the same rhythm as FIRST-style robotics seasons: launch in August, build through the fall, regionals in winter, nationals in spring. Before it, 2027 is our pilot year, with a small group of founding teams in Dallas–Fort Worth in spring 2027 to test the challenge, the sandbox and the kits. Want to be a founding team?

Season 1 theme

Season 1: Theme to be announced

Theme reveal · August 2027 ProposedPresented by · Sponsor slot available

Two tracks

Teach an agent to think. Teach a robot to move.

Kids at tables with their robots while a presenter teaches at a screen
AI track, McKinney, Texas, 2024

AI Agents

Lead track

Teams build an AI helper for a real problem in the season theme, such as a farming advisor that answers in Yoruba, or a tool that helps a family find the nearest clinic. On competition day, the agent faces tasks it has never seen.

  • A kid-safe AI sandbox run by AfroBot. No personal accounts.
  • Block tools for younger kids, Python for teens.
  • Judged on results, design, impact and responsible AI.
First AfroBot-style build day, McKinney, Texas, 2024

Robotics

Our own open-source robot: a small 3D-printed humanoid with a camera, a microphone and a speaker. Teams program it for missions on the field, and many give it their agent as its brain.

  • Loaner kits from our founding robot library.
  • An open design anyone can study, print and improve.
  • A smaller "Mini" build for younger teams.

Divisions

Something for every age.

6–9

Discover

Hands-on AI play. Train a simple image or sound model with a coach and show it off. No scoring, just a celebration.

9–12

Junior

Build a guided AI agent with block tools in the AfroBot sandbox. Optional "Mini" robot pilot.

13–17

Senior

Build a tool-using agent in Python, and program the full AfroBot humanoid for robot missions.

Our values

How AfroBot teams work.

AfroBot is rooted in the African diaspora. Our founders, our first classrooms and our first value, Ubuntu, come from there. That root is a welcome, not a limit: AfroBot is for Black, Hispanic and Latino kids, and every kid who’s been left out of tech.

  1. UbuntuWe rise together. "I am because we are."
  2. AskCuriosity before answers.
  3. BuildMake it real, then test it.
  4. ServeSolve for real people.
  5. WelcomeEveryone has a seat.
  6. CelebrateJoy is part of the work.

Season 1 · 2027–28

Competitions and awards.

All dates and venues are proposed and will be confirmed with host partners. Each regional has a weather back-up date.

DateEventCityStatus
Sat 15 May 2027Pilot showcase (founding teams)Dallas–Fort WorthProposed
Sat 7 Aug 2027Season 1 launch and theme revealOnline and Dallas–Fort WorthProposed
Sat 11 Dec 2027RegionalDC / MarylandProposed
Sat 8 Jan 2028RegionalAtlantaProposed
Sat 15 Jan 2028RegionalHoustonProposed
Sat 22 Jan 2028RegionalDallas–Fort WorthProposed
Fri 7–Sat 8 Apr 2028National ChampionshipDallas–Fort WorthProposed

Awards

AfroBot Champion
The best all-around team in each division.
Agent Arena
Top agent on unseen challenges.
Robot Missions
Top robot score on the field.
Impact Project
The biggest real-world difference.
Ubuntu Award
"I am because we are." Teamwork and generosity.
Breakthrough
The most growth in one season.
Coach of the Year
For the adults who make it happen.

Prizes such as scholarships and nationals travel grants will be announced with our sponsors.

Questions

Questions, answered.

How do you keep kids safe with AI?
  • A sandbox, not the open internet. All agent building happens in an AfroBot-run AI sandbox with filters, limits and logs. Kids never need their own AI accounts.
  • Coach-managed accounts. Coaches create team accounts with parent consent. Under-13s only use guided tools.
  • No personal data. Agents never store personal information about real people. Youth data is deleted after the season.
  • Checked adults. Every coach and volunteer completes training and a background check.
What’s included in the team fee?
  • Season challenge brief, coach guide and team build log
  • Access to the AfroBot AI sandbox for the season
  • Online coach training and support
  • Entry to one regional event
  • Robotics: a loaner AfroBot kit, returned at season end
  • Not included: travel, and the National Championship entry ($250, proposed)
Does my child need a computer or a robot?

The lead track runs on a laptop or Chromebook. Robotics teams borrow a loaner AfroBot kit (the $75 add-on, with a $100 refundable deposit) and return it at the end of the season.

Do coaches need a technical background?

No. Coaches are parents, teachers or mentors, and we train and support every coach. Every coach and volunteer completes training and a background check.

Are there prizes?

Yes. Teams compete for the awards listed under Season 1. Prizes such as scholarships and nationals travel grants will be announced with our sponsors.

Are the dates and prices final?

Not yet. Dates, venues and fees are proposals for the 2027 pilot and Season 1 (2027–28). They will be confirmed with host partners before registration opens.

Founders & partners

The people behind AfroBot.

Founders

Dr. Unoma Okorafor

Dr. Russell Avre

Partners

  • WAAW FoundationFounding partner
  • Glappy FoundationFounding partner
  • Your organizationBecome a partner →

Register interest

Be first to know when Season 1 opens.

Parents, students, schools, volunteers, mentors and sponsors are all welcome. Tell us a little about you and we’ll be in touch.

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