WHAT WOULD YOU CREATE?

Students building and programming LEGO robots in small teams in a bright Minneapolis classroom. — Robot build day, in a real Minneapolis classroom

Four kids sitting on the floor with LEGO and DUPLO, laughing.

createMPLS brings hands-on robotics, coding, 3D printing, electronics, sound tech and drones into Minneapolis schools and community sites. Kids build real things with real tools, at no cost to students or families.

Bring a lab to your school → or see what kids make ↓

Build ✶ Wire ✶ Code ✶ Print ✶ Fly ✶ Mix ✶ Test ✶ Fix ✶ Show it off ✶Build ✶ Wire ✶ Code ✶ Print ✶ Fly ✶ Mix ✶ Test ✶ Fix ✶ Show it off ✶Build ✶ Wire ✶ Code ✶ Print ✶ Fly ✶ Mix ✶ Test ✶ Fix ✶ Show it off ✶Build ✶ Wire ✶ Code ✶ Print ✶ Fly ✶ Mix ✶ Test ✶ Fix ✶ Show it off ✶

Made in Minneapolis ● Made by kids ● Made this week ●Made in Minneapolis ● Made by kids ● Made this week ●Made in Minneapolis ● Made by kids ● Made this week ●Made in Minneapolis ● Made by kids ● Made this week ●

01 Editor's note

We bring the workbench.
Kids make
the rest.

We show up at your school or community site with instructors, tools and a plan. In-school courses during the day. STEM Learning Labs after school and in summer. Every session runs the same honest loop: make it, test it, change one thing, show it off.

A FIRST LEGO League practice: three boys at a field mat while two adult coaches lean in to adjust a LEGO robot. — FIRST LEGO League practice at our first host site, 2016

A boy and a girl in school uniforms adjust a LEGO EV3 robot together.

We come to you

Your classroom, gym, library or rec room becomes the lab. No bus, no field-trip forms. Families told us the best part: it comes to them.

Real tools, real builds

Motors, micro:bits, 3D printers, mics and flight simulators. Short demo, long build time, and everybody explains what they made.

$0 for families

There is no cost to students or families. Schools and community partners host; donors and volunteers keep the parts bin full.

A classroom turns into a robot pit. A cafeteria turns into a sound studio. A rec center turns into a print shop. And the kids who built it all get to show the neighborhood how it works.

— that's the whole idea. ✌

02 On the bench

MADE HERE.

Every createMPLS program ends with something real to show. Here are twelve things a kid could walk out with, from Pre-K to Grade 12.

03 The parts bin · our programs

FIND YOUR
BUILD.

Unplugged version only

Every program is free to students and families. Pick a few, and we'll plan the rest with you.

Send my list →

5,657 students since 2019

Every tally mark behind this card is one of them. Yes, we drew all 5,657.

04 Take one

Pull a tab.
Make it happen.

For schools & community sites

Bring a lab
to your school

You bring the kids and a room. We bring instructors, tools and a plan built for your space, during the school day or after it. No cost to your students or their families.

Two girls build a tall LEGO simple machine together, with trays of parts in front of them.

Add programs from the parts bin and they'll show up here.

Start a partnership →

For neighbors with skills

Lend your hands

Coach a robotics team, help at a build day, or bring your trade into the room for an afternoon. You don't need to be an engineer. You need to be curious.

Volunteer →

For everyone who wants in

Stock the parts bin

Gifts keep every program free for students and families. createMPLS is a 501(c)(3); donations are tax-deductible.

A mentor measures a tower of rolled paper tubes holding up a heavy book while students watch.

Donate on Givebutter →