Robot Butterfly Workshop at the Boys and Girls Club
In Summer 2025 we conducted a 6-session workshop, sponsored by Awesome Kingston, for 7 participants to build their own Robot Butterfly kit at the Boys and Girls Club - STEM & Robotics Centre in Kingston, Ontario.
Photos shared with permission of parents/guardians through registration, and photos taken with permission of the participants.
About The Workshop
The Robot Butterfly workshop lets you build a robot creature from start to finish with detailed instructions and with the inventor as your guide. Build your own nature-inspired robot that responds to the environment! In this creative robotics workshop, teens will solder, assemble, and program their own Robot Butterfly, and take it home!
This hands-on workshop is designed for:
- Makers with some prior experience in electronics / robotics who want a fun, unique, creative build
- Students in Grade 7-11 with technical interest to advance their skills beyond beginner level
- Makers eager to apply their theoretical learnings in a hands-on way
Results
From workshop participants who completed the pre and post surveys, here are the top three areas of skill improvement:
Soldering Skills
+92%
Average increase in self-evaluated soldering skills after workshop
Debugging Skills
+154%
Average increase in self-evaluated debugging skills after workshop
Hand-Tools Skills
+21%
Average increase in self-evaluated hand-tools skills after workshop
Skill improvement was also seen in firmware programming, and assembling 3D printed pieces.
What Participants Are Saying
"The Robot Butterfly program was a really fun and exciting experience. I learned useful skills, like how to safely use a soldering iron to build things. I didn’t know how to solder at all on the first day, but after some practice, with help from Erin, my instructor, I felt confident and comfortable doing it. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who is interested in learning more about robotics or coding."
- Tiger, workshop participant (Grade 9)
"I liked how the workshop was very educational and fun. I learned a lot about soldering and programming. It was easy to learn because Erin was very good at guiding us through things"
- Oliver, workshop participant (Grade 7)
"I would say that the experience was awesome"
- Jayden, workshop participant (Grade 11)
"He LOVES his Butterfly, it is displayed in his room to see it day and night :-) We are so grateful for wonderful support at BGC!"
- Ansha, parent of workshop participant (Grade 7)
“The collaboration between BGC South East STEM & Robotics Centre and Robot Missions was a great fit, expanding access to fascinating and accessible STEM learning to more kids in the region. Erin's Robot Butterfly kits are an incredible creation, mixing robotics and makerspace expertise and environmental passion. Erin's workshops teach important technical skills, such as soldering and coding, while providing a welcoming environment for youth to become makers and friends.”
- Bruna Guarino Moraes, Associate Director, STEM & Strategic Initiatives - Boys and Girls Club South East
Workshop
Week 1
• Open kit
• Explore parts
• Start soldering electronics
Week 2
• Soldering electronics
• Starting assembly
Week 3
• Assembly
• First power up
• Servo calibration
Week 4
• Complete assembly
• Follow firmware tutorial
Week 5
• Programming firmware
• Optional / advanced week
Week 6
• Programming firmware
• Modification brainstorming
• Optional / advanced week
Accomplishments
By the end of the workshop, all participants had a working Robot Butterfly that moved its wings. They get to keep their robot and add it to their portfolio, building their confidence for their future projects.
Partnering with the Boys and Girls Club South East STEM & Robotics Centre was incredible for this workshop. They are one of Canada's largest youth STEM centres, supporting over 1,200 youth from equity-deserving groups.
Credits
Many thanks to the team at the Boys and Girls Club South East for their support in offering this workshop and hosting it in their inspiring space.
Thanks to the Awesome Kingston jury for selecting our pitch, granting us the funding to make this workshop possible at an accessible reduced fee to participants.
Additional Information
If you are interested in running a Robot Butterfly workshop for your community, school, or club, it would be great to discuss!
Please contact us at:
Page last updated: August 28 2025 13:13:36.