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Robotics builds patience, skills at Boys & Girls Club in Yuma
January 9, 2026
For Sofia Berahmand, working with LEGO robotics has taught more than engineering skills.
“At first I didn’t have a lot of patience,” said Berahmand, a 12-year-old member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley’s Yuma Branch. Carefully assembling tiny parts, collaborating with teammates and searching for the right pieces have made it “a lot easier” to handle challenges in other areas of her life, she said.
Sofia was one of four team captains who spoke about the program during a recent afternoon at the Yuma Branch. The students are preparing for regional competitions connected to the Arizona FIRST LEGO League, a partnership between LEGO, the nonprofit organization FIRST and Arizona State University. Previous competitions have focused on themes such as marine environments and land excavation.
Students in fourth through eighth grade are eligible to participate in the Yuma Branch’s LEGO Robotics club. “It’s about learning how to build,” said Rowena Regalado, senior branch director at the Yuma location. “When you build, you have to be disciplined and patient because there are so many pieces to put together. And the pieces are very small.”
The robotics program is now in its third year at the Yuma Branch, Regalado said, noting strong support from Arizona State University.
The branch reopened in 2022 after several years without a Boys & Girls Club presence in the city, with assistance from the City of Yuma. Regalado, who previously worked in Head Start and other youth programs, said membership has grown from 38 students at opening to 209 today.
She highlighted the club’s role as both an educational resource and a safe environment for children. “Now that we have everything in place, the parents say this is a game changer,” Regalado said.
