Starting Robotics from Hopewell

Some Hopewell families want to see the lab before a renewing charge. Three published ways to do that are a trial class, a birthday party, and summer camp. The contact page has a booking link labeled for a trial class. A birthday party is scheduled with the team, for up to 14 participants, recommended at 2 to 3 hours. Guests fly indoor drones on guided paths, rotate through mission cards, and finish with a guided build and a short showcase. Summer camp is a multi-day version of the same idea: you pick a track instead of inventing a drop-in.

Those visits still happen at the Prince George address. The academy does not list a Hopewell room. Published building hours are Mon–Fri 4:00–7:00 PM; Sat and Sun closed. A party or a camp day can use a schedule you confirm with the team, because the camp page and the party page both say dates are set that way. Do not assume a Saturday class from the weekday hours. Saturday and Sunday are published as closed.

Lego Build Challenge is for ages 6–12. Campers design, build, and test with Lego components and practice teamwork in guided mini-challenges. Homemade Drone Builder is listed for ages 6–12 and for ages 12+. Campers assemble beginner-friendly drones and practice flight safety, tuning, and mission planning. Autonomous Vehicle Challenge is ages 12+. Campers design the logic, use microprocessors, and convert ordinary RC vehicles so they can follow lanes, avoid obstacles, and finish timed courses.

The camp page also splits coaching by age. Ages 6–12 get structured checkpoints and project templates. Ages 12+ get more ownership and a presentation. Half-day and full-day are both named. The clock times for those options are not on the page, so a Hopewell family should ask before holding a calendar. The page heading on the camp itself refers to summer dates that vary by season. Contact the academy to confirm what is actually offered.

After the first visit, ages 6–12 can move to After School Robotics. One hour a week is the Weekly Class Membership. Six hours across three days is VIP. Five days, 4–7 PM, 15 hours, ages 6–12, is Full After-School for the school-year term. Weekly and VIP renew automatically. The five-day option is a term charged weekly. Friday competitions are available to members as extra time, and non-members can register when the product page says so.

In-person students use academy gear in groups of about 10–12. The about page also invites Scouting America units, Girl Scout troops, schools, and other youth organizations to ask about a group activity in robotics, coding, engineering, or 3D design. A Hopewell troop or school can use the contact form for that conversation. The partners page is the place for a school, library, nonprofit, or agency that wants to host, sponsor, or co-run something larger. No Hopewell organization is named as a current partner on the site.

Ages 12–16 who want longer work should read Challenge League on the pathways page and Teen Robotics & Competition Club. The club covers projects a student can demonstrate, plus topics such as sensors, feedback, and putting mechanics, electronics, and software in one machine. Availability is by inquiry. Online Robotics Lab remains the no-travel option for ages 8–16: six weeks, one live session a week, at most six students, Eastern Time, software-first.

Enrollment for a paid class is still the Program Catalog and the Parent Portal. Hopewell families can call (804) 434-0470 or email robotics@turtlebackrobotics.com. Say the student’s age and whether you want a trial, a party, a camp track, a membership, or the online course. That list matches the programs this website actually describes.