Utah · Refugee & immigrant youth

Robotics classes for refugee youth.

Q: How do I sign up?

Enroll on our robotics program page . Want to mentor instead? Become a mentor — no experience needed.

Free VEX robotics, coding and AI classes for refugee and immigrant youth in Utah — where newly arrived kids become builders, coders and confident young engineers.

Enroll a student All free classes

Why this program exists

They crossed oceans. Now they build robots.

Utah is home to more than 65,000 refugees from 30+ countries — Afghanistan, Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Ukraine and many more.

Their kids arrive with enormous talent — and face language barriers, interrupted schooling and a digital gap where one phone is often shared by a whole family. Our free robotics classes meet them where they are: VEX robots, caring mentors and a room where every kid belongs, every Tuesday at the Hartland Partnership Center in Salt Lake City and with Utah Valley Refugees in Provo.

We work with refugee communities, never as saviors — alongside families, local leaders and partners like the Bountiful STEM Educational Foundation and the Utah STEM Action Center.

Program snapshot

Free Robotics & AI Bootcamp, ages 8–14
Tuesdays, 3–4 PM — Hartland Partnership Center, Salt Lake City
Also serving Provo with Utah Valley Refugees
VEX robotics kits, laptops and materials provided
No experience needed — beginners welcome

What changes

More than robots.

Closing the digital gap

Many students touch a computer for the first time in our classroom. They leave coding, building and troubleshooting on their own.

Belonging

A weekly community where newly arrived kids are known by name, cheered on loudly and expected to succeed.

Families included

Showcases and celebrations bring parents in — because when a family sees what their child built, everything shifts.

Dreamers Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 87-1835814) with Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency. Our Utah robotics program is sponsored by the Utah STEM Action Center, with curriculum and laptops from the Bountiful STEM Educational Foundation.

Questions, answered

Good to know.

Who can join the robotics classes?

Refugee and immigrant youth ages 8–14 — plus any child from a low-income family in the Salt Lake Valley. No experience needed, and everything is free.

Where and when are classes held?

Tuesdays, 3–4 PM during the season at the Hartland Partnership Center (1578 W 1700 S, Salt Lake City), a University of Utah community center. We also run programs with Utah Valley Refugees in Provo.

Is it really free?

Yes. Robots, laptops, materials — all free, funded by donors and sponsors. Families never pay.

My child doesn't speak much English yet. Can they still join?

Absolutely. Many of our students are learning English — robotics is hands-on, visual and universal. Mentors meet every kid where they are.

How do I sign up?

Enroll on our robotics program page. Want to mentor instead? Become a mentor — no experience needed.

Every kid deserves a robot.

Free · Ages 8–14 · Salt Lake City & Provo.

Enroll today Fund the program