Welcome to the Alachua Launch Pad
Current Workshops
Combat Robotics Workshop
Discover the World of Combat Robotics! Join us for an exciting 4-week journey where students bring engineering and creativity to life! Students will keep their 1lb plastic ant robot that they build in the workshop!
Think Tank Bootcamp
This 8-week workshop for students ages 8–16 who are curious about how the world works—and how they can change it. Using the Engineering Design Process, students will tackle real-world challenges, explore what it means to think like an entrepreneur, and learn to take action on their ideas.
Start Date: Tuesday September 23rd 5 pm – 6:30 pm
Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Ready to take your entrepreneurial thinking to the next level? This intensive 8-week experience for students (ages 10–16) who have completed the Entrepreneur Think Tank or already have a business, product, or project idea they want to explore. Student will take an interview process to pitch their business idea before starting the bootcamp.
Start Date: Tuesday September 23rd 6:30 pm – 8 pm
STEM Fair Workshop Series
An 8-part STEM Fair Workshop Series where students dive into hands-on science and engineering challenges inspired by real-world problems. Each 2-hour session introduces a new mini STEM Fair-style project using either the Engineering Design Process or the Scientific Method.
Start Date: Tuesday September 9th 2025 10 am – 12 pm
Code vs Chance Workshop
Join our Code vs. Chance Workshop, where students program a Micro:bit to act as a digital dice and test its randomness against a real one using the scientific method. This hands-on experience blends coding, probability, and data analysis in a fun and thought-provoking way!
Date: Tuesday September 9th 10 am – 12 pm
Sock Launcher Catapult
Join our Sock Launcher Catapult Workshop, where students explore force and motion by designing and building a working catapult to launch socks into a target. This fun, hands-on challenge combines engineering, creativity, and real-world problem-solving!
Date: Tuesday September 23rd 10 am – 12 pm
Wind Power Workshop
Join our Wind Power Workshop, where students explore renewable energy by designing and building their own wind-powered lift. Through hands-on learning and real-world problem-solving, they’ll discover the power of engineering in action!
Date: Tuesday September 16th 10 am – 12 pm
Conductivity Detectives
Join our Conductivity Detectives Workshop, where students build a device to test which materials conduct electricity and explore real-world applications of circuits. Using the scientific method and engineering design process, they’ll investigate, experiment, and discover how electricity flows!
Date: Tuesday September 30th 10am – 12pm
Weather Watchers: Clouds
Join our Cloud Prediction Workshop, where students use the scientific method to explore whether cloud types can help predict the weather. This hands-on experience blends earth science, observation, and critical thinking in a fun and engaging way!
Date: Tuesday October 7th 10 am – 12 pm
Candy Science
Join our Cloud Prediction Workshop, where students use the scientific method to explore whether cloud types can help predict the weather. This hands-on experience blends earth science, observation, and critical thinking in a fun and engaging way!
Date: Tuesday October 28th 10 am – 12 pm
Paper Creative Circuits
Join our Paper Creative Circuits Workshop, where students design glowing greeting cards while learning to build simple and parallel circuits with conductive tape and LEDs. This creative, hands-on activity brings STEM concepts to life through art and engineering!
Date: Friday November 14th 10 am – noon
Sew Creative Circuits
Join our Sew Creative Circuits Workshop, where students learn the basics of circuitry while designing and stitching a light-up bookmark using conductive thread. This hands-on experience blends creativity with real-world STEM skills in a fun and engaging way!
Date: Tuesday October 14th 2025 10 am – 12 pm