FTC Jamaica and NCB Foundation move Jamaica ‘full STEM ahead’ with competitive robotics
FIRST TECH Challenge Jamaica (FTC Jamaica) and the NCB Foundation have partnered to help Jamaica achieve a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-powered future through competitive robotics. On Friday, February 28, and Saturday, February 29, 30 high schools from across the island will convene in the Karl Hendrickson Auditorium at Jamaica College for the second staging of the FTC Jamaica National Robotics Championship to determine which participating school has built the best robot, and which two teams will travel to the United States (US) to compete in international tournaments.
FIRST Tech Challenge is an international organisation dedicated to stimulating youth interaction with STEM concepts through robotics. The competition, which is usually held in the US, saw Jamaica College as the only school steadily participating from Jamaica, starting in 2009. In 2018, the New York Chapter of the Jamaica College Old Boys’ Association partnered with the Jamaica College Foundation to secure the rights to host a local event. Gavin Samuels, affiliate partner representative at FTC Jamaica, is confident “that this initiative will increase interest and participation in STEM-based programmes and careers”.
A STRONG SUPPORTER
With the help of the NCB Foundation, FTC Jamaica is ready, once again, to give 30 local schools the opportunity to compete for the top spots. As a result of the NCB Foundation’s support, half of the competing teams were granted robotics kits, valued at US$1,000, free of cost. The NCB Foundation is a strong supporter of education and has been supporting robotics in Jamaica for several years.
These 30 schools have teams of six to 10 members who are designing, building and testing robots to prepare for the championship. The competing teams are from across the island and comprise a mix of traditional high schools and technical schools. Very encouraging is the participation of several all-girls high-school teams for the second year. All are vying for the coveted Inspire Award which would qualify that team for participation in the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championships to be held in Houston, Texas, from April 15 to18.
According to NCB Foundation’s CEO, Nadeen Matthews Blair, “We are happy to be supporting this initiative on a multi-year level, as the competition not only develops the technical skills, but the soft skills, such as problem-solving, collaboration, and communication. This makes the programme much more compelling because it is creating well-rounded, young Jamaicans who are equipped for the workforce of the future.”
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Game Execution, or SCRIMMAGE competitions, designed to provide a flexible simulation environment for the experimentation and testing of these robots, will occur periodically. The first SCRIMMAGE, which was held on Saturday, January 11, saw more than 20 schools giving their robots a test run.
FTC Jamaica and NCB Foundation are confident that transforming how our youth interact with STEM subjects can unlock their potential and the country’s future in a bold new way.
‘We are happy to be supporting this initiative on a multi-year level as the competition not only develops the technical skills but the soft skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, and communication’.