Arizona Tribune - From Vision to Impact: Jumpstart Fellowship Celebrates 5 Years, Launches Next Cohort

The MassRobotics Jumpstart Fellowship Program was created in 2021 to provide opportunities for diverse Massachusetts high school girls to learn about STEM careers in robotics and prepare for future pathways in STEM. The program provides students with a solid foundation in technical skills, as well as mentors and a professional network that offer support and foster confidence, along with direct engagement with industry professionals.

Jumpstart programming is held on Saturdays from January through May and includes a full week of sessions and field trips to robotics companies during the February public school vacation week (February 16-20, 2026). Following this, students gain real-world experience through paid internships at a robotics or technology company.

A key part of the Jumpstart program is making sure these young women feel confident and empowered to enter the STEM field. Students learn directly from mentors about various robotics career paths and how to leverage their studies into a career in robotics through lab and company visits.

All female high school juniors and seniors with a passion for robotics and technology are encouraged to apply (Boston students given priority). The application link and more information can be found on the Jumpstart Fellowship landing page here.

Interested candidates can meet Jumpstart Alum and mentors on site at the upcoming annual Robot Block Party where they can ask questions and learn more directly from them and the Jumpstart Program Manager.

Graduating students shared their experiences about the program:

• "I found my passion in engineering and coding, and my future has never felt clearer." Helena, 2021

• "Entering the professional world is not easy, but this program has worked with us to make this path a lot easier." Tairine, 2022

• "Jumpstart was a perfect opportunity to be able to interact with other girls who had a similar interest in STEM and the robotics field and pretty much anything to do with engineering." Abigail, 2023

• "The program not only helped me envision myself as an engineer for the first time, but also helped me find my spark (pun intended) in electrical engineering. I would not be the student and person I am today without the support of the MassRobotics Jumpstart program," Catherine, 2024

• "Being in such a welcoming space with dedicated and passionate fellows and mentors, I feel like I've grown so much as a student and as a person," Aliana, 2025

For businesses interested in participating as an employer and hiring students who have gone through the Jumpstart Fellowship program for summer employment, fill out this form.

MassRobotics will also celebrate Women in Robotics and the achievements of female researchers at its annual black-tie Gala on October 25 at the MIT Samberg Center. This event will honor the Robotics Medal recipient Professor Maja Mataric, UCLA, for her pioneering work in the field of socially assistive robots and for making significant advancements to the field of distributed robots and learning in human-robot systems, and Rising Star medal recipient Tania Prof Tania Morimoto, UC San Diego, for her contributions to novel soft and flexible medical robots and human-machine interfaces designed to improve access to high-quality care. Jumpstart alums will be guests at the event and one will share her experience participating in the program. More information about the Gala and tickets can be found here.

About MassRobotics

MassRobotics is the world's largest independent robotics hub dedicated to accelerating robotics innovation, commercialization, and adoption. Our mission is to help create and scale the next generation of successful robotics and Physical AI technology companies by providing entrepreneurs and startups with the workspace, resources, programming, and connections they need to develop, prototype, test, and commercialize their products and solutions. While MassRobotics originated and is headquartered in Boston, we are reaching and supporting robotics acceleration and adoption globally, working with startups, academia, industry, and governments both domestically and internationally. See massrobotics.org for details.

Media Contact:

Sayo Tirrell
[email protected]

SOURCE: MassRobotics

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

T.Sanchez--AT