Programs at BEAM

BEAM hosts a variety of engaging educational programs throughout the year. Explore what we have to offer, below!

Children assembling LEGO sets at a table in a classroom
Two girls are sitting at a desk in a classroom, working together on a craft project with colorful materials. Other children are visible working and playing in the background.
A group of three children and a man with glasses working on a science project at a table with various electronic components and papers.
A group of children working together on a science project involving electrical components and light bulbs, seen from above.

Saturday Academies

Join industry engineers and scientists with invigorating hands on activities. Students have the opportunity to learn problem solving, critical thinking and learn about various trades. Explore creative design with Lego Mindstorms. New STEM disciplines are highlighted each month and guided by one of our industry partners. Lunch is provided.

We offer Saturday Academies for all ages.

Saturday Academies run from October to May.

BEAM programs are always offered at no-cost for students.

  • Junior Engineers meet on the first Saturday of each month October – May, from 10:00am to 12:00pm at Diefendorf Hall UB South (easiest campus access is by using Diefendorf Road from Bailey Avenue across from the VA Hospital). The Junior Engineers activity is a hands-on introduction to the engineering fields. This will be taught by New York State certified teachers utilizing kits that introduce young students to a variety of engineering fields through hands on “play.” Students will be provided their own individual kits each month to complete and take-home.

    Please note, students enrolled in our Junior Engineers program must be accompanied by an adult.

  • Creative building meets on the first and third Saturday of each month October – May, from 9:30am to 11:30am at Parker Hall UB South (easiest campus access is by using Winridge Road from Winspear Avenue). The Creative Building activity utilizes LEGO Mindstorms kits to engage middle school students. Lego Mindstorms kits provide hands-on experiences that stimulate communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. The Lego System includes LEGO® bricks, coding tools, and supporting lesson plans that ignite the middle school students’ natural curiosity and sharpens their scientific inquiry, engineering design, and data analysis skills—so they can succeed in their STEM classes today and realize their full potential as digital citizens and leaders tomorrow. This program is overseen by engineering mentors who have a long relationship with BEAM.

  • Engineers of the future meets on the first and third Saturdays of each month, in October – May, from 10:00am to 12:00pm at Diefendorf Hall UB South (easiest campus access is by using Diefendorf Road from Bailey Avenue across from the VA Hospital). This program features hands-on Engineering demonstration taught by engineering mentors from BEAM partner companies and include University of Buffalo Engineering students in a supporting role. Each month will have a distinct engineering theme, and during a single Saturday Academy, students will interact with different companies and multiple engineers/scientists working in a similar area. Each session is designed to keep groups small for more interactions and better understanding.

REGISTRATION STATUS:

OPEN FOR THE 2025-2026 SEASON

Register for a Saturday Academy Program
A young woman with glasses, wearing a striped shirt and jeans, sitting at a table in a classroom, holding a wooden drone model in her right hand. Other students are working at tables in the background, with materials and open books on the tables.
A group of five diverse young people gathered around a small table, engaging in a hands-on science activity with wires, batteries, and bulbs, in a lecture hall or auditorium with empty seats.
A group of young people gathered around a girl operating a surveying instrument outside a brick building, with some people in the background observing.
A woman using a laptop with a 3D design of a robot on the screen, in a classroom with other students and empty seats.

Summer Programs

Explore, and engage with engineering through a collection of exciting day activities and field trips, over a six-week course. BEAM summer programs are designed to challenge students to use innovation and imagination when approaching various STEM projects with hands-on learning.

We offer Summer Programs for grades 6 through 12

Summer Programs run from early July through mid-August.

BEAM programs are always offered at no-cost for students.

  • Students will utilize the Engineering Design Process to engage in engineering-based projects. Students will design and implement projects using electrical, civil, and mechanical engineering, coding, 2D and 3D design. Students will attend an off-site field trip every Thursday to partner engineering firms to provide insight into various aspects of STEM fields and engineering careers.. All students will receive a Summer Go Pass.

    Students residing in the City of Buffalo must complete the Mayor Summer Youth (MSY) Application, and request BEAM as their worksite BEFORE registering with BEAM. A registration link will be posted as soon as it is available.

    Students must be 14 years of age or older to participate in the High School Summer Program.

  • Oue Middle School Summer Program runs Mon-Wed for 6 weeks (July 7-August 14) from 8am-12pm at Diefendorf Hall at the University at Buffalo south campus. Students will practice engineering principles and STEM skills as they build projects guided by a certified teacher. Students will explore civil and mechanical engineering, coding, 2D and 3D design. 

REGISTRATION STATUS:

EXPECTED TO OPEN SPRING 2026

Register for a Summer Program
A group of nine people, some wearing black hoodies with logos, stand together on a gymnasium floor in front of a backdrop with photos of people and a logo. One person in the front holds an award.
A partially assembled robot with red, blue, and gray metal parts, wheels, and wiring, placed on a gray carpeted surface.
Students and judges participating in a robotics competition in a gymnasium, with robots, barriers, and cones on the floor.
Four people standing together at a robotics competition, wearing glasses and team shirts, with a crowd in the background.

BEAM Robotics Program

FIRST Tech Challenge Team 19565 - BEAM Robotics

Interested in electronics, programming, manufacturing, mechanical engineering, systems engineering, leadership, or project management? You can learn all that and more at BEAM Robotics! BEAM participates in the FIRST Tech Challenge in competitions at Rochester and Buffalo. Students meet with a team of mentors from local engineering companies to design and build an original robot each year to complete the challenge. In December and January students will travel to regional competitions where in the past we have won the Rookie All Star and Judges Awards.

BEAM programs are always offered at no-cost for students.

  • Students design and build a robot to compete in a unique FIRST Robotics regional competition. Students will work hand in hand with engineering mentors from companies such as Eaton, General Motors, and Moog.

  • Students will work on all aspects of the robot, starting from the ground up! Students will work with supervising mentors to learn mechanical skills, electrical skills, and software programing skills. Students will also have the opportunity to learn in-demand skills such as AI machine learning.

  • Absolutely not a problem. No experience necessary! Students just need to come eager and willing to learn from our Mentors who will help them every step of the way!

  • We can only accept students in 7th to 12th grade to participate in the program and competitions.

  • We meet every Saturday (except holidays), from 12pm to 4pm. September through December.

  • The annual competition is usually held in Rochester, New York. We will provide transportation, food and lodging for all students participating in the event!

REGISTRATION STATUS:

CLOSED FOR THE 2025-2026 SEASON

Register for BEAM Robotics
Presentation slide titled "What is BEAM Robotics?" with a subtitle "Intro to BEAM and FIRST Tech Challenge" and colorful borders in blue, green, and gold.
A presentation slide about BEAM Robotics with a group of diverse students posing in a gymnasium next to a robot built for a competition, some students are giving thumbs up.
Slide showing a robot built from kit pieces and custom parts, with the title 'The Robot', and specifications about its size and design. The robot is on a competition field next to a Power Play sign.
Information about the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) robotics competition, including the date of the new challenge announcement, requirements for teams to create new robots, the competition timeframe, and the goal of promoting science and technology, pre
Slide titled "The competitions" showing a list of teams with their nicknames and ranks, part of a presentation about robotics competitions. There is also a photo of a scoreboard with team names and scores.
Indoor robotics competition with multiple students and officials gathered around a robot within a marked playing field, alongside a presentation slide titled 'How are the games played?' outlining game rules.
Slide titled 'Example games (from previous years)' listing 2021 as 'Freight Frenzy', 2022 as 'Power Play', and 2023 as 'Center Stage', with a note about videos on next slides.
A cartoonish machine with googly eyes and a blue body, surrounded by numerous yellow tennis balls on the ground.
A Lego robot facing a Power Up sign with logos of Raytheon Technologies and Power Play on it in an indoor setting.
Empty wrestling ring on a stage with a large sign in the background that reads 'Wrestling'.
Slide titled 'Why BEAM Robotics?' with bullet points about skills, scholarships, and fun building and competing with robots.