SparkLab Programs & Workshops
Explore upcoming robotics, science, and engineering programs offered throughout Philadelphia.
TEEN TAKEOVER – “Motors & Movement”
Date: September 17, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Kingsessing Library
Address: 1201 S. 51st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Ages: 12–17
Cost: Free
Teens will build a LEGO robot and learn how programming controls motor power, direction, timing, and movement. Teams will test and adjust their robots before putting their engineering and coding skills to work in a series challenges.
Teen Robotics & Engineering
Date: September 23, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Cobbs Creek Library
Address: 5800 Cobbs Creek Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Ages: 12–17
Cost: Free
Introductory hands-on robotics. Teens will work in teams to build and program robots, and solve engineering challenges.
Session Focus:
Motors, Speed, Direction, Power, Timing, Movement & Control.
K-6 STEM: “Engineers Need Materials”
Dates: October 8, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Wyoming Library
Address: 231 E Wyoming Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19120
Ages: 5-12
Cost: Free
Students will make their own Play-Doh while investigating how ingredients combine to create a usable engineering material. They’ll explore properties like texture, flexibility, and firmness and discover why engineers need to understand their materials before deciding how to use them.
TEEN TAKEOVER – “Sensors & Sounds”
Date: October 15, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Kingsessing Library
Address: 1201 S. 51st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Ages: 12–17
Cost: Free
Students will build and program robots that use tilt or distance sensors to respond to movement and their surroundings. They’ll experiment with sensor-controlled actions, sounds, and programmable LED lights while learning how robots use inputs and outputs.
Teen Robotics & Engineering
Date: October 21, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Cobbs Creek Library
Address: 5800 Cobbs Creek Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Ages: 12–17
Cost: Free
Introductory hands-on robotics. Teens will work in teams to build and program robots, and solve engineering challenges.
Session Focus:
Sensors, Input, Logic, Audio, Output, LEDs & Scratch Coding.
K-6 STEM: “Can You Stand It?”
Dates: October 29, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Wyoming Library
Address: 231 E Wyoming Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19120
Ages: 5-12
Cost: Free
Students will use Play-Doh as an engineering material to investigate what makes structures stand, experimenting with shapes, bases, supports, balance, and stability. They’ll discover how different design choices affect whether a structure stands strong—or comes tumbling down.
K-6 STEM: “Engineers Keep Trying”
Dates: November 5, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Wyoming Library
Address: 231 E Wyoming Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19120
Ages: 5-12
Cost: Free
Students will put their structures to the test by adding new challenges such as supporting weight, reaching a target height or span, or working with limited materials. They’ll observe where their designs fail, make improvements, and test again—learning how engineers use testing and redesign to make structures stronger.
Teen Robotics & Engineering
Date: November 11, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Cobbs Creek Library
Address: 5800 Cobbs Creek Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Ages: 12–17
Cost: Free
Introductory hands-on robotics. Teens will work in teams to build and program robots, and solve engineering challenges.
Session Focus:
Conditions, Loop, Sequence, Debugging, Engineering Design, & Problem-solving
K-6 STEM: “The Engineering Challenge”
Dates: November 12, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Wyoming Library
Address: 231 E Wyoming Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19120
Ages: 5-12
Cost: Free
Students will put everything they’ve learned into action by designing and building a structure—such as a garage, shelter, or bridge—that must meet a set of engineering criteria and constraints. They’ll plan, build, test, and improve their solutions just like engineers do.
Engineering Design for TEENS
Date: November 16, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Wyoming Library
Address: 231 E Wyoming Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19120
Ages: 12–17
Cost: Free
Reimagine the Neighborhood: Teens become community planners, reimagining the library neighborhood with the spaces, resources, transportation, and experiences they want to see. Together, they’ll create a master plan that will guide the community model.
TEEN TAKEOVER – “Everyday Robots”
Date: November 19, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Kingsessing Library
Address: 1201 S. 51st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Ages: 12–17
Cost: Free
Teens will design and program a robot that solves an everyday problem or helps someone complete a task. They’ll test their robot’s useful behavior, then share what it does, who it helps, and how they could improve the design.
Engineering Design for TEENS
Date: November 23, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Wyoming Library
Address: 231 E Wyoming Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19120
Ages: 12–17
Cost: Free
From Blueprint to Structure: Teens turn their neighborhood plan into a 3D model, building structures and infrastructure while exploring stability, supports, materials, and structural design. They’ll test and improve their builds as the community begins to take shape.
Engineering Design for TEENS
Date: December 14, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Wyoming Library
Address: 231 E Wyoming Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19120
Ages: 12–17
Cost: Free
Engineer a Working Community: Teens bring their community to life by adding electrical, mechanical, or robotic systems such as lights, moving features, motors, or sensors. They’ll test and troubleshoot their systems to make sure the technology serves a purpose.
Teen Robotics & Engineering:
ROBOT GAMES
Date: December 16, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Cobbs Creek Library
Address: 5800 Cobbs Creek Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA 19143
Ages: 12–17
Cost: Free
Students will solve a series of challenges and games using introductory robotics and coding:
Session Focus:
Engineering Design, Problem-solving, Motors, Sensors, Scratch Coding & STEM.
Engineering Design for TEENS
Date: December 21, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
Location: Wyoming Library
Address: 231 E Wyoming Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19120
Ages: 12–17
Cost: Free
Complete the Teen Takeover: Teens add the finishing touches and bring their individual designs together into one complete community. They’ll inspect the finished model, test how well it works, and compare what they built with the vision they created during Visit 1.