Welcome to Girl Scout Robotics! We currently use VEX Robotics tools to teach girls and gender-expansive youth in grades 4-12 about beginning robotics. Girls will work together in a team environment to design, build, code and drive their robot in a competition setting.
Girls who are not already a member of a traditional Girl Scout troop are welcome to join the Special Interest Robotics Troop (43431). Girl Scout membership is available here: Link to Join. Membership currently costs $90 per year, and scholarships are available upon request. Finances should never be a barrier for girls to participate, please let us know if you would like to request financial aid. Once a girl joins, she is welcome to participate in ALL Girl Scout activities. There may be some small fees for the summer “mini-camps” and for team t-shirts, but all equipment and competition fees are covered by our sponsors.
The Robotics season runs from August – February. We welcome all levels to start with us in Summer and Early Fall 2026 for our “Mini-Camp” beginning sessions and building instruction. Girls will then be asked to commit to a team of 4-5 girls that will meet weekly from September through February, with the goal of participating in up to two competition events in December – February (usually a one-day weekend event within an hour drive located in the East Bay or South Bay). Think of this as a “team sport” where you all work together during the robotics season and maybe even make it to a championship competition!
Current dates for upcoming Robotics season (2026-2027):
- May 7: 4pm – 6pm. Intro event for girls currently in grades 6-11.
- May 14: 4pm – 6pm. Intro event for girls currently in grades 3 – 5.
- June 16-18: 9am – 12pm. Mini Camp: Learn the basics of how to build with VEX Robotics – Open to grades 4-12.
- August 11-13: 9am-12pm. Mini Camp: Team building days for new VEX games. Open to grades 4-12.
- Starting August 27 – Meeting every Thursday afterschool 4pm – 6pm. Open to grades 4-12.
* Shorter 8 week programs will be scheduled in Spring 2027 for girls in grades 2-3.
School Year Meetings:
Girls will meet every Thursday after school starting August 27, 2026 through February, with competitions scheduled as soon as the girls are ready. We anticipate attending 2 competitions sometime between December-February. Dates will be shared as soon as the competition schedule is released.
My daughter has never used robotics before, is that OK? YES! We all started at the beginning and are happy to teach every girl. All we need is their imagination and a willingness to experiment!
What happens if my daughter has another sport/dance/activity and won’t be able to attend every week? We totally understand that girls today have lots of outside activities. We want all girls to participate in whatever level works for them. Girls that are able to commit to a robotics team will be grouped together in a primary competition team. Girls that are not able to attend every week will still be welcome to participate and we’ll group them together as a team with the anticipation of competing in January or February (moving at a slightly slower pace).
Do girls need to have a computer? No, but it is helpful for each team to have access to a computer for coding their robot. We are working to get some computers donated, but if your daughter has one available, it will be helpful for her to bring that during our meetings. She will need access to the following website: https://codeiq.vex.com/
Who are the coaches? All of the Robotics Coaches are adult members of Girl Scouts of Northern California and have completed a background screening that allows them to volunteer with youth organizations. Let us know if you are a parent and would like to volunteer with the girls. Along with membership in Girl Scouts and the background screening, there are some short online training courses that will help you understand the coaches role in VEX Robotics. Our lead coach has completed additional training and is a certified VEX Robotics coach.
How do I find out more information about VEX Robotics?
- Introduction Video to Vex V5 (7th – 12th grade): Click Here
- Introduction Video to VEX IQ (4th – 6th grade): Click Here.
- More information for Parents about VEX Robotics: Click Here
More questions? Please reach out to us at SonomaGirlScouts@gmail.com
Girl Scout Robotics is possible because of the generosity of our sponsors: Girl Scouts of Northern California, Google, Sonoma Impact 100 and Rotary Club of Sonoma Valley.
Service Unit #103 - Sonoma 