Local Muslim children win award at robotics competition
Founder: ‘No limit’ to their capabilities
Mohamed Ebeida, a computer scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, wanted a way to teach programming to kids.
So he looked to Albuquerque’s Muslim community, of which he is a part.
At the beginning of 2016, he gathered around 30 kids ages 6 to 14 from the Islamic Center of New Mexico in Albuquerque and started teaching them the basics of computer programming and robotics.
“These kids, most of the ideas coming from them are out of the box,” Ebeida said. “They don’t even have a box.”
By July, two teams of six kids each were competing at an international competition in Fairmont, W.Va. The FIRST LEGO League Mountain State Invitational was held July 7-9, and required students to design, build and program a robot to accomplish a set of tasks. The robots were to be designed to feed different types of animals.
Competing against older and more experienced teams, Ebeida said he was thrilled when one of the teams won the Inspiration Core Value award for their teamwork.
Ebeida said he and the group already have begun preparing for next year’s competition.
“I think they learn there is really no limit to their capabilities,” he said.
The program also has served as an opportunity for the Muslim community to reach outside of itself, especially during a time of uncertainty for the group in light of President Donald Trump’s travel ban, Ebeida said.
“When this happens, the Muslim community generally closes in on itself,” he said. “Through this program, we’ve actually done the opposite.”
Team leader Safa Kassem, 14, said the experience has served not only as something to put down on her résumé, but also as a way to encourage other children.
“We’re here to inspire kids, and especially Muslim kids, that they can do whatever they wish,” she said.
Ebeida said he hopes to continue to expand the program, which is open to everyone.