PROTO
PROTO is a student-led engineering organization at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln dedicated to giving every child in Nebraska the opportunity to explore robotics, engineering, and problem-solving.
We believe that a student’s potential should never be limited by the school they attend. Yet across Nebraska, especially in Title I and under-resourced districts, many students never receive exposure to hands-on STEM learning. From our outreach and customer discovery, we found that in Lincoln Public Schools alone, over half of elementary schools lack the funding, tools, or expertise to offer robotics programs.
PROTO is changing that.
Our Team
Our Curriculum
Our Activities
Our Vision
To make STEM and robotics education accessible in every Nebraska classroom — and ultimately, in classrooms nationwide.
What We Build
PROTO is developing a complete, low-cost robotics education platform designed by UNL undergraduate engineers. Our solution includes:
• An affordable, American-designed robotics kit with custom electronics and modular components
• An intuitive programming environment built for elementary and middle-school students
• A ready-to-teach curriculum that empowers educators with little to no STEM background
• A turnkey program that allows schools and after-school clubs to launch robotics initiatives immediately
It looks simple — but it’s a full-service, scalable STEM system at a fraction of the cost of existing kits.
To achieve this goal, we are looking for people with interests in:
- Mechanical and electrical engineering to design and produce a building-block-based kit with custom electronics, and its subsequent improvements.
- Education to create a curriculum for elementary/middle school-aged students that teaches simple engineering concepts and generates interest in robotics (in the format of an after-school club).
- Computer science to design a simple pseudo-programming language (A collection of python functions) that can be used by elementary/middle school-aged students to program a small robot or mechanism without needing extensive education beforehand.
Feel free to branch out into whatever interests you most, regardless of your major.
Our Outreach
Our Community
Our Impact
In just 18 months, PROTO has grown from an idea into a statewide STEM initiative.
• Partnered with LPS Community Learning Centers to bring PROTO to more schools
• Completed multi-week pilots at West Lincoln Elementary, a Title I school
• Hosted a workshop at Prescott Elementary and others across Lincoln
• Built relationships with students and faculty across four UNL colleges
• Connected with Nebraska industry leaders including Kawasaki and Career Pathways
• Selected for the College of Business Accelerator Program, where we developed our manufacturing and scale-up strategy
Why We Do This
Many of us discovered engineering because a teacher, a mentor, or a simple robotics kit changed the trajectory of our lives. Not every kid gets that chance — but they should.
When a student programs a robot for the first time and it moves, the world opens up. Our goal is to unlock that spark for thousands of kids across the state.
Join Us
PROTO brings together UNL students from mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, education, business, and more. Whether you’re interested in hardware design, curriculum development, software, outreach, or leadership, there is a place for you here.
Help us build the next generation of Nebraska innovators.
Public Event Schedule
Saturday, December 6th
Lincoln Hour of Code & Tech Fair
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Nebraska Innovation Campus (Lincoln)
Saturday, December 6th
Millard North Middle School VEX IQ MS & Elementary Tournament
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Millard North Middle School (Omaha)