Laurel Highlands Education And Robotics, Inc.

What Laurel Highlands Education And Robotics, Inc. does

Laurel Highlands Education and Robotics, Inc. (LHER) is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 by Michele Lamkin to deliver youth STEM education, FIRST robotics team support, and STEM career exploration in the Laurel Highlands region of southwestern Pennsylvania. The organization supports nine FIRST robotics teams across FLL and FTC tiers (including its flagship FTC Team 8645 Robotic Doges) and provides structured training to coaches and mentors. Its core activities comprise short-format STEM camps (drone, programming, CAD/3D printing, laser engraving, and engineering build), drone-based product sales (CoDrone EDU at $255 and Tinyhawk3 FPV Kit at $385), team sponsorship and tournament coordination, and a student STEM career development program featuring industry tours, internships/job shadowing, and scholarship guidance. Camp pricing ranges from $30 to $120 per student, with several programs offered free through grants from Appalachia IU 8 and the PA Department of Education PAsmart Advancing Grant.

LHER's operational technology stack is centered on consumer/educational robotics platforms (FIRST competition robots, CoDrone EDU and Tinyhawk3 FPV drones, Lego Spike Prime), CAD tools (OnShape, SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor), and entry-level programming environments (Scratch, Blockly, Python, MicroPython). The organization sells a small set of educational drone kits through its own e-commerce storefront and accepts tax-deductible charitable donations. Distribution is primarily in-person at its Hollsopple, PA headquarters and the Collaborative Space training facility at 150 Old Ridge Road, supplemented by online registration and remote team mentoring across Pennsylvania. Leadership comprises four named individuals including the Chief Engineer at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (Vice President Michael J. Ream) and credentialed mechanical/manufacturing engineers, lending technical credibility to its mentorship model.

LHER's customer base spans K-12 students and their families, FIRST robotics team coaches/mentors, and community sponsors/donors. Go-to-market is community-led: word-of-mouth referrals through FIRST competitions, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), community presentations by the Robotic Doges, and direct school and parent engagement. Revenue sources are diversified across camp registration fees, drone product sales, individual donations via PayPal/mail, and team/event sponsorship, with multiple programs additionally subsidized by institutional grants. The organization does not disclose financials; its scale is small (1-10 employees per firmographic data, only four named leaders), and it is actively remodeling a larger physical space to accommodate growing camp and team support demand.

Name

Laurel Highlands Education And Robotics, Inc.

Legal name

Laurel Highlands Education and Robotics, Inc.

Website

https://lherobotics.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Laurel Highlands Education and Robotics, Inc. is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers youth STEM education, FIRST robotics team mentorship, and STEM career exploration to K-12 students and families in the Laurel Highlands region through camps, drone products, and grant-funded programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth STEM Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX) (EDAMADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG), AI & Machine Learning for Robotics Programs (EDAMADAK)

Keywords

• Youth STEM education
• Robotics team mentoring
• FIRST robotics competitions
• Drone education programs
• K-12 STEM camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Hollsopple

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Sale of educational drones and robotics equipment including CoDrone EDU ($255) and Tinyhawk3 FPV Drone Kit ($385) through the organization's e-commerce shop
2. Camp and Program Fees: Registration fees for various STEM camps including Classic Drone Camp ($30), Programming Camps ($40), Tele-Op Drive Camp ($40), Engineering Build Camp ($120), CAD/3D Printing Camps, and Laser Engraving Camps. Some camps offer discount coupons.
3. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible charitable contributions accepted via PayPal or mail. Organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions, bequests, devises, transfers or gifts
4. Team Sponsorship: Sponsorship opportunities for robotics teams, STEM events/classes, and family events to support program operations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Laurel Highlands Education and Robotics, Inc. (LHER) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers hands-on STEM education to K-12 students through robotics, drone, and coding summer camps, mentors FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Lego League teams, and runs student STEM career exploration programs including field trips, internships, and scholarship guidance in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands region. The organization also sells educational drone kits (CoDrone EDU and Tinyhawk3 FPV) through its online shop and accepts tax-deductible donations to support program operations.

Product overview

Laurel Highlands Education and Robotics, Inc. (LHER) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization, not a traditional software product company. Its offerings consist of educational programs, robotics team support, and drone products sold through its shop. The portfolio includes two drone products (CoDrone EDU and Tinyhawk3 FVP Drone Kit) used in educational camps, structured STEM summer camp programs covering programming (Scratch, Blockly, Python, MicroPython), CAD/3D printing, graphic design/laser engraving, and engineering build skills, FIRST robotics team support including sponsorship and training, and student career development services including field trips, internships, and scholarship guidance. The organization's primary focus is providing STEM education to K-12 students in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands region through hands-on robotics and technology programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Robotic Doges: FTC Team 8645 - the primary FIRST Tech Challenge team coached, mentored, and supported by LHER, Inc. with a proven track record including back-to-back 'final four' finishes at FIRST World Championships in 2017 and 2018.

Products and services

• STEM Camps Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Students from rural communities gain access to advanced STEM education and robotics competitions typically found only in metropolitan areas
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIRST is the governing organization for international robotics competitions including Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC, and FRC. LHER supports FIRST teams participating in these programs and aligns its curriculum with FIRST competition frameworks.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• REC Foundation (VEX Robotics): REC Foundation runs VEX IQ, VEX V5, and VEX U competitions and supports local affiliates and clubs much like LHER supports FTC/FLL teams. It is the closest direct comparable for a STEM nonprofit that mentors multiple competition robotics teams at the K-12 level.

Broad incumbents

• Code.org: Code.org is a national 501(c)(3) that funds K-12 computer science education and teacher training. LHER's programming and coding camps (Blockly, Python, Scratch, MicroPython) place its STEM-enrichment work directly adjacent to Code.org's mission and partner-funding ecosystem.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): FIRST is the umbrella nonprofit governing Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC, and FRC. LHER explicitly aligns its curriculum and team-support services with FIRST competition frameworks, making FIRST the broadest incumbent counterpart in this niche.
• Girls Who Code: Girls Who Code runs K-12 computer science programs and clubs. It overlaps with LHER's programming camps in mission (CS workforce pipeline) and is an example of a national nonprofit scaling similar K-12 STEM coding experiences.

Emerging players

• 4-H Youth Development STEM Programs: 4-H offers national K-12 STEM programming including robotics and drones through Cooperative Extension offices. It is the closest scale-comparable national nonprofit running rural K-12 STEM enrichment with regional club structures similar to LHER's FIRST team network.
• MATE Inspiration for Innovation (Marine Advanced Technology Education): MATE runs K-12 and college underwater ROV competitions with affiliated regional hubs, paralleling LHER's support of FIRST competition teams. It is a niche competitor in the project-based STEM competition space.

Regional players

• National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC): NREC, part of Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute, is one of LHER's named field-trip destinations. It is a regional STEM-industry partner that overlaps with LHER in serving Pittsburgh-area K-12 robotics outreach.
• Carnegie Science Center: Carnegie Science Center is a Pittsburgh-based STEM education center referenced in LHER's own field-trip partner list. It operates in the same PA region with similar K-12 STEM outreach, but at a much larger institution scale (museum facility).

Others

• Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 (IU8) STEM Lending Center: Appalachia IU 8 funds LHER's Drone Mini-Camps through its STEM Lending Center and is referenced in testimonials. Comparable regional Intermediate Units (IU4, IU6, IU9, IU12, IU13) operate analogous STEM-lending ecosystems elsewhere in PA and represent both a funding channel and a network of similar mentor nonprofits.
• Pennsylvania Department of Education PAsmart Grant Program: The PA DOE PAsmart Advancing Grant is a direct existing funder of LHER's free Drone Mini-Camps and represents the broader category of state STEM-workforce grants that comparable regional nonprofits (PA-based STEM advocacy orgs) compete for or rely on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/LHERobotics
• Facebookfacebook.com/LaurelHighlandsEducationandRobotics
• Instagraminstagram.com/lherobotics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laurel-highlands-education-and-robotics

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Laurel Highlands Education And Robotics, Inc.