Over 1,200 “unattached” youth benefitting from robotics training
― Department of Culture, Youth and Sport will be provide robotics tent during their community outreaches
DPI, Guyana, Saturday, April 6, 2019
Over 1,200 young people are currently being trained in the areas of robotics, coding and programming as part of the Department of Culture, Youth and Sport’s effort to provide the “unattached” youth with a second chance to develop themselves.
This initiative was made possible through the signing of an MOU between the Ministry of Public Telecommunications and STEM Guyana. The agreement will see a nationwide programme to expose early school leavers to technology education while working to strengthen their numeracy and literacy skills, begin soon.
More than forty coaches within the department were trained and deployed in January. This was disclosed by Director of Youth Melissa Carmichael-Haynes in an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI).
“We recognised that the children within the school system are catered for so we wanted those young people who are at home, who have dropped out and needed a second chance to get the opportunity to be involved in robotics. This we believe will help reveal their creative side… it will also provide with them the opportunity to learn new things, as well as reading, numeracy and literacy that are included in the robotics programme,” Carmichael-Haynes explained.
She noted that, so far, the department has been able to reach many eager learners throughout the country and is optimistic that this energy continues to be exhibited by others as efforts are made to ensure they can make a meaningful contribution to the development of Guyana.
According to the Youth Director, the department will soon commence yet another train-the-trainers workshop in robotics coding by next week, which will be facilitated by STEM Guyana. Carmichael-Haynes noted that they will also be offering the youth throughout the country, the opportunity to become involve in robotics through their community project events.
“During some of our visits to various clubs across the country, we realised that robotics is an area that many young people are interested in. So, we have planned in most of the community projects to also include a robotics tent for that day or period,” she explained.
Currently, there 25 robotics clubs in the country: one in Region 2, Pomeroon-Supenaam; five in Region 3, West Demerara-Essequibo Islands; ten in Region 4, Demerara-Mahaica; five in Region 6, East Berbice-Corentyne and four in Region 10, Upper Demerara-Berbice.
The Department of Culture, Youth and Sport has implemented three technology programmes, which are being monitored and managed for their value and effectiveness. The three programmes are inter-related; they are the Youth Innovation Project of Guyana (YIPoG); the Cyber Guyana project and the National Robotics Project being implemented under an MOU agreement with STEM Guyana.
Under a partnership agreement with STEM Guyana, approximately 42 youth volunteers have been trained in STEM club management. The trained teams are certified STEM club leaders and possess expert knowledge in robot building and programming, MIT Scratch coding and teaching the STEM Guyana lesson plans. The Department of Youth team will support more than 35 STEM clubs in Ministry of Public Telecommunications built, ICT hubs across Guyana
Neola Damon.
Images: Ameer Sattaur.