About Us

Co-founders

Divya Veerapaneni:

I am currently a junior in Saratoga High School. I play the viola in my school orchestra. I also am part of my school soccer team. I have attended Lego Robotics camps at the Tech Museum and San Jose State University. In 2012, my robotics team, "RC Saratoga", won first place in the Silicon Valley FLL Regional Competition. 

Rishi Veerapaneni:

Hello! I am Divya's twin brother, her partner in every crime!! I love playing around with robots. In addition to the First Lego Robotics competition in 2012, I have been competing in several robotics competitions since 8th grade. The competitions have ranged from hanging rings on a rack (First Tech Challenge in high school) to saving the Earth from a collision with a comet (Zero Robotics Competition - won third place nationally). Apart from robotics, I enjoy being part of the school soccer team, playing blitz (speed chess), and eating good food.

Instructors

Labanya Mukhopadhyay:

Hello, I am  a 10th grader at Evergreen Valley High School. I have been doing robotics since elementary school, have participated in FLL and gone to regionals, and a current member of my school's FTC Robotics Team. In addition, I play for my school's tennis team and love to play piano and listen to music!

Pranav Pusarla:

I am a ninth grader in Evergreen Valley High School and love robotics. I have been participating in First Lego League for multiple years and have gained much experience. I have currently moved on to higher levels of this like the Tech Challenge.

Kedar Abhyankar: 

I am a junior at Saratoga High School. I've been doing robotics almost every year since 1st grade, be it in competitions or just for fun. I am on the school's wrestling team, as well as on the school's track and field team, where I compete in Discus and Shotput.

Avinash Parampalli:

I am 13-years old and going to Peterson Middle school. I have always liked computers, and found this class a great experience to share my experience and learn new things myself. 

Ally Marecek:

I am currently a sophomore at Wilcox High School in Santa Clara.  Though I have no prior experience with robotics, the program has made me more interested in robots and how they work.  The Bots For Fun Program was even more amazing and educational than I expected, and I am very glad to have experienced it as a volunteer.

Srividya Gandikota:

I am currently a ninth grader at Wilcox High School in Santa Clara. I play on my tennis team and I'm also on our school's robotics team. My robotics experience began in 6th grade. I have competed in competitions since FLL and still participate in FTC.

Our Mission

Our mission, here at BotsForFun, is to teach elementary school and middle school children the fundamentals of computer programming. We teach computer programming through robotics. Through trial and error, participants will learn what it means to program.

Our Philosophy

We believe that children should have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of computer programming at a young age. In a world where technology is forever expanding its horizons, learning how to manipulate technology is an evermore critical life skill. Computer programming is becoming an increasingly essential subject as more and more people use digital devices. It is our mission, we feel, to expose the youth to computer programming at an early age, so they can better succeed in life for many years to come. No matter what field they choose to enter years from now, computer programming will always be a useful skill to have.