Robotics contest shows huge participation
ABU DHABI: Special Olympics UAE announced a record participation at the Unified Robotics 2021 Competition which will see 375 students from 44 schools nationwide compete virtually in Unified Teams to complete missions on gamified plaforms. The competition, the largest for neurodiverse students in the Mena region, includes two age groups 8-11 years and 12+ years and cumulates in two competition days: Mar.13 for primary students and Mar.20 for secondary students.
Unified Teams comprise neurodiverse students in mainstream education (Athletes) and mainstream peers in their school (Unified Partners) who over the course of the competition collaborate as a team and complete missions. The assigned tasks and missions promote not only knowledge of STEM and robotics, but also development of communication, teamwork, and decision-making skills among neurodiverse students, while allowing everyone to participate fully and enjoy a positive experience.
A virtual Awards Ceremony will be held on Apr.17 and several winners across technical and nontechnical categories will be announced. One school has the opportunity to win the inauguratory Innovate for Inclusion Award, which will be presented to the school that demonstrates in the most compelling manner how STEM and technology activities, such as Unified Robotics, have been used within the school to promote inclusion.
“The outstanding response to the Special Olympics UAE Unified Robotics 2021 Competition from schools and educators has really surprised and delighted us, especially given how much pressure they are currently under. Special Olympics UAE has an important role to play in making the strengths and abilities of neurodiverse children more widely recognised and appreciated, by creating opportunities to empower and help them engage with their peers and contribute to their school communities,” said Talal Al Hashemi, National Director of Special Olympics UAE.
In 2019, the first Unified Robotics event ever held outside the United States was organised in Abu Dhabi featuring about 200 students from 20 UAE schools, who met and built robots over a six-week period cumulating in a live event and awards ceremony which was held on Nov.16, 2019.