2026 Robotics Mixer

The Allsparks Awarded 3rd YNAPP Grant and 1st SNHA Grant for ‘Robotics Mixer’ Youth Initiative in Las Vegas

March 21, 2026

For the third time, The Allsparks, a dynamic community organization dedicated to fostering youth leadership and advancing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) education, has been awarded the Youth Neighborhood Association Partnership Program (YNAPP) grant! Also, for the first time, The Allsparks were awarded a Southern Nevada Homeschool Association (SNHA) grant! The 2025/2026 YNAPP grant and SNHA grant will support their newest project, “Robotics Mixer,” an innovative, youth-led initiative designed to expand access to robotics and bring the Las Vegas community together.

The YNAPP grant empowers youth to design and lead neighborhood-based service-learning projects that create meaningful, positive change within their community. Through these initiatives, young leaders are given the opportunity to turn their ideas into reality while developing leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.

SNHA empowers homeschooling families by providing high-quality, affordable resources, support, and community. The SNHA grant demonstrates its commitment to promoting STEAM education and strengthening connections within the Southern Nevada community.

Building on the success of previous YNAPP-funded projects like Brick-a-Thon and Bricks and Bots, The Allsparks is taking the next step in its mission: making competitive robotics more accessible to all. The Robotics Mixer was created to address a growing need in the community, where many students are eager to participate in competitive robotics but lack access due to limited school programs, team availability, or a lack of connections and information.

Connecting Bricks to Bots, and Teams to Opportunity

The Robotics Mixer is designed as an interactive, hands-on event where youth and families will learn about competitive robotics in an open, welcoming environment. Hosted at a local library, the event will feature full competition-style game tables, robots with attachments, and laptops for coding and mission-solving activities. FIRST Nevada has graciously loaned items, such as the competition tables, to help participants experience a more realistic environment.

Participants will:

• Try their hand at coding and completing a FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge mission

• Connect with peers and families interested in robotics

• Have the opportunity to form future teams and learn about pathways into FIRST robotics programs

Neighborhood Engagement and Youth Leadership

At the heart of the Robotics Mixer is youth leadership. A dedicated young leader is guiding the planning and execution of the event, supported by peers, mentors, and community members. This collaborative effort brings together youth and adults, creating a space where ideas are shared and connections are formed.

Hosted in an accessible community space, the Robotics Mixer transforms the library into a hub of innovation, learning, and collaboration, where neighbors come together not just to learn, but to build something bigger: opportunity.

A Growing Impact

The Robotics Mixer represents the evolution of The Allsparks’ vision of moving from creativity with bricks, to coding with bots, to building pathways for long-term engagement in robotics and STEAM. With support from YNAPP and SNHA, this project will not only introduce more youth to robotics but also empower them to take the next step: forming teams, developing skills, and becoming part of a global community of innovators.

The Allsparks continue to ignite curiosity, problem-solving skills, connection, and confidence in the next generation. With three YNAPP grants awarded and our first SNHA grant, their impact is growing, along with the community they are building. 

For more information about the Robotics Mixer and The Allsparks, visit https://www.theallsparks.org and stay tuned for updates.