WHO WE ARE

A Southern Nevada Fil-Am and AAPI culture and STEM education program that centers both engineering and cultural education to provide an enriching, empowering, and competitive experience for youth in grades 8-12.

MISSION

Balikbayan Bots empowers Fil-Am and AAPI students, by blending robotics training with a connection to cultural heritage. Our mission is to develop technical skills, inspire innovation, and instill a sense of community pride and responsibility, all while honoring the spirit of "Balikbayan"—the tradition of returning home to give back and uplift our communities.

The Student Teams

Design

Computer Aided Design (CAD)

Design Parts and Assemblies for Robot Mechanisms

Create Drawings for Fabrication

Fabrication

Hand tool and power tool operations

CAM, CNC Machining

Read Technical Drawings

Assembly

Robot part integration

Verify parts manufactured to spec

Wire and electrical management

Programming

Develop controls for robot

Computer Vision

Debugging and structured problem solving

Business & Marketing

Photography & videography

Team website & Social Media

Sponsorship communications

Fundraising

Event Planning

Kultura

Weekly Kultura topics

Areas of focus for Fil-Am History Month and AAPI Heritage Month

Coordinate with local AAPI organizations/ community partners 

Mabuhay, welcome!

Join a competitive robotics travel team for grades 8-12! Check out Balikbayan Bots, operating out of UNLV. No experience necessary! 

Fill out our interest form and we'll contact you to schedule a free shop tour, you'll see our facilities and get the opportunity to drive a robot.

Robotics Mentoring Lab located at UNLV in TBE (Thomas Beam Engineering Building).

/balik + bayan/

The word balikbayan is a combination of the Tagalog words balik, which means to return or to go back and bayan, which means homeland. Together, balikbayan means returning to the homeland. Starting around the 1970s, Filipinos living abroad were encouraged to return home and bring gifts and supplies to help their relatives. Tax incentives made it accessible to send boxes of goods back to family and friends giving rise to the custom of balikbayan boxes. This practice of sending balikbayan boxes is a cultural reflection of the desire for Filipinos who have left the country in search of better opportunities to provide for and take care of their loved ones back in the homeland.


The goal of Balikbayan Bots is to reflect this spirit by encouraging students to reflect on how their knowledge and experiences may connect with where they come from.


For more information on the history of balikbayan boxes, here's an feature from the LA Times