How do I get to The Robo Hub?

Getting to The Robo Hub is easy and convenient
We’re at 86A Sherman St., Cambridge, MA 02140 (open in Google Maps). Drive under the large metal arch that leads to the back parking lot of our building. We have 12 free spots labeled “The Robo Hub” along the back fence for parking. If all parking spots are filled, Danehy park across the street offers 4-hour free parking a few hundred feet down the road.

Families in Cambridge Public Schools who are enrolled in our Robo Club after school program can take advantage of CPS transportation to bring their child to The Robo Hub. See this separate article on how.

Can the school bus drop my child off at The Robo Hub?

Transportation options for children taking the school bus

If you are a Cambridge resident enrolled in the Robo Club program, the answer is “”yes””! Unfortunately, outside of Cambridge, or if your child is enrolled in an independent school, the answer is “”no””. Please note that at this time, we’re only able to provide transportation support for Robo Club students, and not those attending a class or a workshop.

How to Use Cambridge Public School Transportation to get to Robo Club:

You can submit a transportation change request through Cambridge Public Schools. Follow our guide here. Our nearest bus stop is a five minute walk from “Walden and Garden”. A staff member will escort any child walking from the bus stop to our center for the first time. *Only children in 3rd grade or older may walk independently from the bus stop.

How to find your bus route

Go to CPS Bus Finder (or search “CPS Bus Finder”)

Type in and search “86 SHERMAN ST, 02140”.

    1. Note: you will not get results for our address “86A SHERMAN ST”.
    2. Don’t forget to include the zip code of “02140”!

Find your child’s school (e.g. “Baldwin School”) AND grade level (e.g. 03, 04, 05) then click on the school name.

Scroll to the bottom of page to find the bus route for the “Walden and Garden” stop (e.g. “White Snowman”)

Fill out the CPS Transportation Change Form to reflect bussing on the day of their class.

Provide this form to your school’s front office for data entry.  Alternatively, photograph/scan your form and email it to your school’s front office.

What age groups do you offer camps for?

Our camps are designed for children entering grades K through 8 as of time of camp. We group our camps into age-appropriate groups, typically no more than 3 years apart, less for the younger children.

Please see our camp program listings for specific age requirements. In some cases we may combine groups to benefit the learning experience if we feel it’s appropriate.

What are the age requirements for your classes and after school programs?
 Our classes and after school programs are designed for children in grades K through 8 as of time of the program. We group our classes into age-appropriate groups, typically no more than 3 years apart, less for the younger children.

Please see our program listings for specific age requirements. In some cases we may combine groups to benefit the learning experience if we feel it’s appropriate.

What if my child is mildly ill?

Please do not send a child to The Robo Hub camp if the child is known to be sick.  Parents must not send children to the center who have gastrointestinal, respiratory, skin or direct contact infection or a fever of 100.0 degrees or higher. 

Massachusetts camp regulations do not allow us to admit children who are known to have symptoms of contagious illness.  

What hours are you open?

Our hours of operation vary seasonally.

Summer: Monday-Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm

School-year: Monday-Friday, 1:00 pm. to 7:00 pm

We are also open on weekends and evenings for scheduled events and parties.

Are you a nut-free facility?

Yes! We are a peanut and tree-nut free facility.  We realize how scary it can be for children with tree nut allergies. Tree nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, filberts/hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, and walnuts.

We kindly ask that caregivers not send in snacks with nuts. The best way to do this is by reading labels on prepackaged snacks. Most brands mark their packaging with an allergen list or warning that states the following:

    • ”May Contain Peanut or Tree Nuts”
    • “Processed On shared equipment with Peanuts or Tree Nuts”
    • “Manufactured in a plant with Peanut or Tree Nuts”
    • ”Contains Peanut or Tree Nut Ingredients”

In case of an emergency, our staff are trained in CPR and First Aid, which includes administering EpiPen.

What is your plan for disasters and emergencies?

We have procedures and have conducted training with our staff to handle a variety of emergency situations, including:

  • Tornado/High Winds
  • Lightning, Flash Floods, Wildfire, or Evacuation
  • Sheltering in Place
  • Fire evacuation

Our full procedures can be found here:

 

How is my child's and my data protected?

All information about children and parents is securely stored with a small number of software solutions we use for our operations. These solutions include our registration software Sawyer, our CRM software Hubspot, our marketing system Mailchimp and our business productivity application Google Suite.  

In some cases, we print select information (such as allergies and authorized pick ups) in order to ensure appropriate care in the case of a power loss.  After your child’s program is completed, all such printed documents are shredded.

Access to customer information is restricted to senior staff who need to access it during the programs.

We do not store credit card information, it is handled by our registration system Sawyer.

What forms are required for camp and how do I submit them?
All families should be prepared to submit the following documents:

  • Record of a child’s physical within the past 18 months for summer camps (within the past 12 months for afterschool).
  • Child’s immunization record or signed record of exemption.
  • Child’s medication history, current medications, and – if requesting medicine be administered during camp – physician’s medication orders

As a camp registered with the MA Department of Health, we are required to collect information for the health and safety of our campers. Please complete your Sawyer profile fields soon after you register to ensure we have the materials we need to admit your camper!  These documents MUST be received at least 3 business days before the first day of camp in order for us to have time to review these documents.

Follow our brief Sawyer Profile Guide, or watch our Sawyer Profile Video to finish filling out your forms.  Please reach outinfo@therobohub.com with any questions or concerns.

General policies & consent agreement

By registering for a program offered by The Robo Hub, you agree to the following The Robo Hub Policies and Consent Agreements.

General Policies and Consent Agreement

By registering for a program offered by The Robo Hub, you agree to the following The Robo Hub Policies and Consent Agreements.

1. Participant Waiver

On behalf of yourself and your minor child, you understand and agree that your child and/or you are participating in this in-person program voluntarily. You agree to not hold The Robo Hub, their officers, directors, third-party providers, or employees, and any other participant liable for any negligence or alleged negligence or other fault (not including intentional acts) that results in personal injury, death, or property damage during or in connection with the program. 

2. Contagious Disease Liability Waiver/Acknowledgment

You acknowledge that attending an in-person program may result in the risk of exposure to contagious diseases.

The Robo Hub cannot admit any participant into the program under the following conditions:

  • The participant has had a fever (101F or higher) in the past 24 hours
  • The participant is showing symptoms of a contagious disease
  • The participant has tested positive, or knowingly been exposed to anyone who has tested positive, for a contagious disease in the past 10 days

3. Behavior Policy

We look forward to offering a fun, educational,  and safe experience to all participants. To help ensure this for all our programs, we expect participants to act respectfully at all times when they are on the company property and participating in our programs. We ask all participants in our programs to be respectful of 5 essential elements of The Robo Hub:

  • Fellow participants
  • Staff
  • Equipment
  • The Space
  • Themselves

In our space, we may post specific rules which come from these 5 kinds of respect. When a participant chooses to break a rule, to act disrespectfully, or to disrupt the ability of others to participate, they may lose the privilege to participate in our programs  until they commit themselves to respectful future behavior. Participants who repeatedly choose to behave disrespectfully will be asked to leave the program. We ask for parents’ cooperation in supporting this approach with their children.

We do not condone inappropriate or harmful behavior (physical or verbal) of our participants. In accordance with this policy, we will notify parents of infractions as soon as we learn about them.

The Robo Hub reserves the right to remove or suspend a participant from programming for repetitive incidences of disruptive or harmful behavior, for repeated violations of behavior norms, or for any instance of egregious conduct/behavior. The Robo Hub also reserves the right to withdraw a participant from programming if parents and/or authorized pick ups and guests do not adhere to what we deem to be appropriate and civil behavior with The Robo Hub staff or student participants. If this occurs, program fees will not be refunded.

4. Medical Emergency Protocol

The Robo Hub will make every effort to contact a participant’s family or emergency contact in case of an emergency.

By participating, you give your permission for properly trained staff to administer firsts aid/CPR procedures if necessary, and to call 911 if deemed necessary. I accept responsibility for the costs of all such medical treatment.

Media Consent & Release

All participants must agree or waive The Workshop Media Consent & Release at the time of registration.

Media Consent & Release:

I give permission for The Workshop to take photos and videos of my child. Photos and/or videos taken during the Workshop may be selected for Workshop promotional purposes, including digital and printed media. No royalty, fee, or other compensation shall become payable to participants by reason of such use.

What are your refund policies?

We understand that family schedules change.Please review our cancellation and refund policy below. Please notify us as soon as possible about any upcoming changes to planned attendance.

Our cancellation and refund policy for Camp:  

Refunds and Program Credits

  • Full refund: Cancellations made 4 months or more before the program start date
  • No refund: Cancellations made within 14 days of the program start date
  • Program credit: Cancellations made less than 4 months but more than 14 days before the program start date will receive a full credit that can be applied to any future program

No credit or refund will be issued for cancellations made within 14 days of the program start date

Additional Terms for Camp:

  • All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing
  • The cancellation date will be determined by the date the written request is received
  • Program credits can be used by any family member
  • Credits do not expire and maintain their full value
  • Credits are non-refundable but can be transferred within a family

Our cancellation and refund policy for After School Programs:

  • Full refund will be issued for cancellations made before the start of the program.
  • For the Robo Club program (after school care), a pro-rated refund will be issued for cancellations made during the course of the program. 
  • For Classes, no refunds will be issued for cancellations made during the course of the class.
  • No refunds or credits will be issued for days or classes missed. 

Our cancellation and refund policy for Short Programs (Workshops, events, one-time classes)

  • Full refund will be issued for cancellations made before 5pm at least 7 calendar days before the start of the program.
  • No refunds or credits will be issued for cancellations made after 5pm less than 7 calendar days before the day of the program.

We will do our best to accommodate schedule changes (i.e. move to a different day of the week) with no additional fees if there is an opening.

Can you help with my child's medication in camp?

Our staff is trained and equipped to assist with administering prescribed oral medication during camp hours.  For the safety of all campers, we cannot administer any other forms of medication (e.g., injections, suppositories).  If your child requires medication other than oral medication, please administer it before or after camp.

For oral medication:

  • You must let us know about your child’s medication needs at least 72 hours before the first day of camp so that it can be reviewed by our Health Care Consultant. This is required by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH).
  • You must provide clear the name of the medication, prescriber, dosage and dosing instructions.
  • All medication must be in the original packaging from the pharmacy with its original label.
Who are the teachers working with my child?

We prioritize hiring highly qualified, experienced, expert staff to work with children in our programs, and we provide training to make sure that children’s experience is top-notch.

All staff members have passed a criminal and sex offender background check, in-person interview, and a reference check.

We generally aim for a 6:1 child:teacher ratio for our programs.

You can learn more about our amazing staff on our About page.

Do you offer financial assistance?
We seek to make our programs accessible to everyone. Please contact us to inquire about scholarship and assistance opportunities at info@therobohub.com
What discounts do you offer?
We offer the following discounts on most of our programs:

  • Sibling discount
  • Multi-program discount
  • Referral discount

Please review the discount information on each program page for details.

In addition, we offer discount programs for employers of local companies and partner organizations. Please contact us at info@therobohub.com
to learn more.

Can parents stay or join their children in activities?

We’re so glad you’re interested in this! We think that joining your child in a project or even observing them play can be helpful in nurturing your relationship and supporting their learning. Sometimes, the parents might learn something too! 

We offer some programs designed for parents to join in, and you will see these details in the program description. 

During summer and vacation camp, we have Friday showcases, specifically design to help parents understand what their kids have been working on, and to give the kids a chance to share the projects they’re proud of. 

We also have a comfortable parent room, where you can relax and catch up with other parents over a coffee while you’r child is having fun in the program with us.

How do you manage behavior issues?

We are a community of educators, strongly committed to creating a safe and positive environment for all children. We believe that children, in a safe and stimulating environment, need to know their limits and these limits must be reinforced consistently.  The Robo Hub instructors will primarily emphasize positive reinforcement when children  follow our rules and guidelines as their method of classroom management.  Our rules and guidelines will be posted in our classrooms and children will be oriented to these rules at the beginning of the program. 

In order to create this safe environment, we created a Child Guidance Policy that our teachers follow consistently in all our programs. 

See the full document here to learn more.

Are you compliant with regulations as a children's program?

Our camps are regulated by the Cambridge Department of Health (DPH) according to regulations issued by the state DPH. Our camps are in full compliance and licensed to operate.

Please feel free to contact DPH with questions regarding our program:

  • Phone: (617) 665-3810
  • Address: 119 Windsor Street, Ground Level Cambridge MA 02139

Our after school programs and classes are regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC). 

  • Department of Early Education and Care Metro Boston Office (Region 6) 
  • Phone: (617) 472-2881
  • 500 Victory Road, Suite 2100, Quincy, MA 02171
Child pick-up policy and late fees

Child Pick-Up Policy

All minor participants are expected to be picked up by a parent or authorized person within 15 minutes of a program’s scheduled end time for which the child is registered. Late pick-up and early drop off may be available for some programs at the time of registration. If there are unexpected delays picking up your child, please call us at 617-395-3151 to notify us of your ETA. 

If a child is not picked up within 15 minutes of the scheduled dismissal time and we have not received a call about the delay, the following will apply: 

    • We will call the main parent or guardian on the eaccount. 
    • If we cannot reach the main contact, we will call all other persons on the account, including authorized pickup contacts until someone is reached.
    • If no contact is reached, we will supervise the child until the end of our scheduled Extended Day service, if one is part of the program.
    • If the child is not picked up by the end of the program or the Extended Day block (if one is available, whichever is later), we will call the City of Cambridge Non-Emergency Police line at 617-349-3300 to arrange a ride home; parent/legal guardian is responsible for any associated fees

    Late Pickup Fees and Penalties

    The following fees will be charged in the event of unexpected delays past the latest available pickup time: 

    • Standard Extended Day Drop-In fee will be applied if Extended Day is available for the program
    • We will apply a penalty charge of $1 per minute past 15-minute grace period for the child’s scheduled dismissal time until actual dismissal

    If late pick-up is recurrent and without timely communication, The Robo Hub reserves the right to remove the child from the program.  No refunds will be issued.

    What is your school-year calendar?

    Our school-year calendar follows the Cambridge Public Schools calendar. During school days, we offer after school programs. During out-of-school days, we offer camps, workshops, and other programs.

    2024-2025 Holidays:

    October 3: Rosh Hashanah
    October 14: Indigenous Peoples Day
    November 5: Election Day & Staff PD Day
    November 11: Veterans Day
    November 28-29: Thanksgiving Break
    December 24 & 25: Christmas
    December 30 – January 1: New Year’s
    January 2: Staff PD Day
    January 20: Dr. MLK, Jr. Day
    February 17: President’s Day
    March 19: Staff PD Day
    March 31: Eid al-Fitr (subject to change)
    April 18: Good Friday
    April 21: Patriot’s Day
    May 26: Memorial Day
    June 19: Juneteenth

     

     

    Where can I find your parent handbook?

    Parent handbook
    Our parent handbook is available here.

    Are you licensed as a care provider in Massachusetts?

    We are compliant with the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) regulations and are on track to receive our license before the start of the school-year programs.