Thank you for taking interest in our online auction. Your generous support helps our team pay for the necessary expenses to build a competitive robot. Please help us spread the word by sharing our auction with your friends and family!

Who Are The Howdy Bots?

The Howdy Bots are a robotics team that competes in FIRST Robotics Competitions (FRC). Our members are homeschooled, private and public schooled students who come from the North Austin area. The Howdy Bots consists of 14 students (ages 12-18), professional coaches, and parent volunteers. Our team meets throughout the year in the garage of one of our coaches. 

Howdy Bots was founded in 2016 as a way to provide opportunities for homeschooled and non-traditionally educated high school students to get involved in STEM activities. We operate under ATX Robotics, Inc. a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization.

What Do We Do?

During a six-week intense Build Season, students ages 12-18 design and build a robot to compete against other teams in a game that is different each year. The team operates like a small business and has different sub-team groups that handle everything from marketing and fundraising to programming, mechanics, and electrical work. Students in the Howdy Bots program learn technical skills in mechanical and electrical work and computer programming, but they also learn about teamwork, leadership, respect, and integrity. Through this program, students are inspired to become leaders and innovators, and enhance their 21st century skills. They gain confidence and independence by working with adult mentors who are engineers, business and marketing professionals, scientists, and leaders in their industry and profession.

Why Are We Holding This Auction?

Participation in FRC is not cheap. We need to raise $40,000 each season to cover things like competition fees, travel costs, robot parts, and marketing materials such as shirts, banners, and brochures. Howdy Bots is not financially supported by FIRST or any school, so we depend on the generous support of corporate sponsors, local businesses, and private contributions from families and team members. Your support has far-reaching effects. Donations help sustain an organization that provides unique experiences to future leaders.

How Can I Help?

1) Bid! - If there is an auction for a place that you frequently visit (example: HEB), consider bidding the full retail value or even a couple dollars over the value! Every dollar will go directly towards our program.

2) Share - The more people we engage, the better our auction results will be. Please consider sharing our auction with your friends, family, and social network.

3) Donate - If you aren't interested in the auction, but still want to support our team, you can make a tax-free donation by clicking the Donate button below.