Participation
Scroll through the slides and the FAQ below to learn more about the Academy.
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The Academy welcomes teams from across the United States. If you’re located outside the US we may have a limited number of spots available. Please contact us to inquire about availability, we’d love to hear from you!
2026-27 Registration Opens August 3rd
Join the list below to get notified.
Get informed on all aspects of the Challenge. View the information from 2026 Info Session Webinar held on September 10, 2025. This session provides information on that format and expectations of the competition for our university, college, and Academy teams. Note, we have modified due dates and added additional prizes and awards since the time this webinar was recorded, be sure to check our Prizes page for the latest info.
KEY DATES & DEADLINES
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Registration Opens | August 1, 2025 |
| Proposal Research Period | August - October |
| Project Proposals Due | November 14, 2025 |
| Development & Testing Period | November 2025 - April 2026 |
| Final Projects Due | May 1, 2026 |
| Awards Ceremony | May 21, 2026 |
Frequently Asked Questions
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The Academy is launching in August of 2025 to support secondary school aged students (grades 7-12) from the United States.
If you’re located outside of the US and are interested in participating, we have a limited number of spots available Please contact us for more info.
Teams can be comprised of students from one school, or a mix of students from different schools and youth serving institutions such as 4-H, FFA, or Grange.
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A team lead must be an adult that has credentials (background check) that allows them to lead and supervise youth activities.
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There is no fee to enter and participate in the Academy.
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Generally it is up to each participating team to procure equipment for their projects.
We do have limited access to a participation and equipment grant opportunity that has been funded by the CA Jobs First Initiative. Visit this page to learn more:
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You can view information on the Amiga robot via Bonsai Robotics.
You can also reach out to:
Linda McNair, VP of Marketing
linda.mcnair@bonsairobotics.com
You can also access technical information for the Amiga robot on our resources page.
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The competition follows the academic calendar year. Team formation and problem identification begin in the fall. During winter and spring, teams work on development, field testing and compile their final reports for submission towards the beginning of May. Exact dates listed above.
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We will host monthly webinars for the cohort of participating teams. During these webinars we will address topics relevant to the project stage.
The first webinars will feature info on problem identification and technology selection. As we progress throughout the year we’ll also bring on guest speakers to talk about career paths in ag tech. We will also thoroughly review project deliverables to clearly outline our expectations for the project submissions.
Don’t worry if you can’t attend the webinars live, all sessions will be recorded and posted to our YouTube Channel for on-demand viewing.
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Teams compete for prizes and special recognition via the Farm Robotics Challenge . View our Prizes page for the latest updates.
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Yes, but up to a maximum of 2 teams per institution, so long as each team is working on a unique problem.
Choose the top projects that best represent your school or club.
Technology can also be shared across multiple teams.
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