Our Story

Az-Tech Robotics was founded in 2023 at Copper Canyon High School with a simple goal: create meaningful STEM opportunities for students in a school where engineering, coding, and robotics opportunities did not yet exist.

What started as a small idea quickly became a student-led robotics program built on teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving. In its first season, Az-Tech Robotics began with five students, two coaches, three mentors, and a cabinet in a math classroom that held the team’s entire inventory. Students designed, built, and tested robots in the classroom itself, learning together as they went.

During the team’s first season, resources were limited. Meetings were restricted to once per week, funding was nearly nonexistent, and the team had no dedicated workspace, tools, or field. By October, grant funding and donated tools allowed the team to purchase its first kit of parts, while a fellow teacher generously offered an empty storage closet as the team’s first “official” workspace.

Despite the challenges, students continued building.

At the team’s very first competition—the White Mountain Qualifier in Show Low—students arrived nervous and intimidated. After losing their first match when the robot failed to move, the team regrouped, improved communication, and climbed to 6th place, ultimately earning the team’s first award: the Judges Award.

Just one competition later, Az-Tech Robotics earned its first qualifier victory at the High Country Qualifier in Flagstaff. With a basic but surprisingly effective robot, the team ranked first during alliance selection and went head-to-head in finals against a team with previous World Championship experience. After a dramatic replayed finals match, Az-Tech secured its first competition win in only its second event.

Growing the Program

Since its founding, Az-Tech Robotics has continued to grow.

In year two, the team moved from a classroom cabinet and borrowed closet into its own robotics classroom, giving students the space to truly build, collaborate, and experiment. Students jokingly describe the moment as the collective:

“Holy crap… we have a room.”

The program expanded to include larger outreach efforts, hosted its first FIRST LEGO League (FLL) event, and continued growing its technical capabilities.

By year three, Az-Tech Robotics had expanded again—hosting both FTC and FLL events, co-hosting STEM experiences at Luke Days, and growing into a recognized year-round program centered around engineering, leadership, and outreach.

Accessibility & Impact

While robotics competition remains an important part of the program, Az-Tech Robotics has developed a strong focus on accessibility and adaptive engineering.

Inspired by student conversations about barriers within STEM and robotics, the team began exploring ways to make engineering more accessible for students with physical disabilities. Today, Az-Tech Robotics works alongside special education staff to create adaptive tools and 3D printed supports for students in physical education, music, and dance.

The team is also actively developing adaptive robotics controls to improve access for students with limited mobility. Beginning with larger joysticks and buttons for improved motor access, the team plans to continue expanding these systems to include additional supports such as foot pedals and eye-gaze controls.

For the Az-Techs, robotics is not just about innovation—it is about creating opportunities for everyone.

Our Culture

Walking into an Az-Tech Robotics meeting often looks like organized chaos.

You might find music playing while one group works on CAD, another tests code, someone else repairs the robot, and outreach students prepare presentations or social media content. Mentors move between conversations, ideas are constantly being shared, and students somehow manage to turn chaos into progress.

The team is often described as:

Chaotic. Weird. Welcoming. Passionate.

Students work hard, support one another, and are encouraged to be fully themselves. Sometimes that means staying late because no one wants to leave. Sometimes it means a quick power nap before jumping back into work. And sometimes it means learning how to fail, regroup, and try again.

In Az-Tech Robotics, students grow not only as engineers, but as teammates, leaders, and people.

Looking Ahead

Az-Tech Robotics hopes to become a leader in STEM education, outreach, accessibility, and advocacy throughout the West Valley and Arizona.

More importantly, the team hopes to make a lasting difference—on students, schools, and the community.

Because in Az-Tech Robotics, we are not just building robots.

We are building confidence, leadership, accessibility, opportunity, and the future.