01 · What we do
One program, done properly
The Foundation exists to run a single thing well. Iron Cross Robotics takes six to twelve young adults through eight months of hands-on training in the mechanical arts — microcontrollers, mechanical, electrical, fabrication, software, robotics integration — ending in a guided capstone project.
Five of the seven modules carry a Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy micro-certification, and completing them earns the SMART Certification. Lab instruction is free. A student pays $1,500 across the whole year, in $100 instalments, and no one is turned away for money.
02 · Where it stands
Building it now
The Tekton Foundation was founded in 2025 and does business as Iron Cross Robotics. It is a non-profit currently seeking 501(c)(3) status.
We are fitting out the laboratory inside the historic Virginia Metalcrafters Building on East Main Street and securing the funding that keeps the program within reach of the students who need it. Instruction begins 21 September 2026.
More about us →03 · Support the work
What giving pays for
Benches, tools, robots and test equipment for the lab. The instructor who stands beside the students. And the gap between what the training costs to deliver and the $1,500 a student pays.
If you fund workforce development, hire technicians in the Valley, or want to put tools in a young person's hands, we would like to hear from you.