PRC was established in 2016 by a group of high school students to address funding disparities and lack of access to robotics programs within Philadelphia public schools. The group of students conceived and incubated a new network-based model that supported after school robotics teams across the city with funding, events, and mentorship. In 2018, PRC launched as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to include adults to support the organization and train teachers to coach students at schools throughout Philadelphia.
To date, the PRC has trained teachers to coach more than 7000 students in K-12 schools and supported robotics teams at over 400 schools and community organizations in 38 of the 41 zip codes in Philadelphia. PRC robotics teams have competed in regional, state, and world championships. Each year, 4-7 elementary and middle school teams qualify to compete in the FIRST Mid-Atlantic FIRST LEGO League Championship. We have had two high school teams attend the FIRST World Competitions with Central High School winning first prize in 2024.