STEM Guyana team shines at First Global Robotic Competition
― cops the ‘Albert Einstein Gold Medal of Excellence’
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Guyana’s Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) team, which represented its homeland at the ‘First Global Robotic’ competition in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates this month, proudly walked away with the ‘Albert Einstein Gold Medal of Excellence’ award.
The event is described as one of the most sought-after international competitions for many countries around the globe.
The Guyanese youths travelled to Dubai from October 24 to 27 to compete against 190 countries.
Today, First Lady, Her Excellency, Sandra Granger, who is a stance advocate and strong supporter of STEM in Guyana, hosted a ceremony at the State House, to honour the teenagers who displayed remarkable resilience and have done their country proud.
In August 2017, Guyanese participated in the First Global Challenge in Washington, D.C and placed 10th out of 164 countries. Held in Mexico last year, the Guyana team also came out victorious.
The First Lady said while the group gained 39th at this year’s challenge, it is still amongst the top 25% of the countries which performed exceptionally well. She acknowledged Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, who provided STEM Guyana with a home to run its daily operations.
Sharing similar sentiments was the founder of STEM Guyana, Karen Abrams, who expressed appreciation to the many sponsors that contributed to the establishment and daily functions of the team. Among the sponsors were Tullow Oil Company, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), The Guyana diaspora, the Ministries of the Presidency, Education, Public Telecommunications, Communities, Social Cohesion Culture Youth and Sport.
15-year-old Kyle Dos Santos, who is the youngest participant told the Department of Public Information (DPI), that it was a great opportunity participating in such an event and he plans to make the best use of the knowledge gained. Dos Santos said it was the mobile app creation which caused him to join the fantastic team, after which he elevated to the basic robotics course. According to the youngster, one of the things he enjoys as a member of the robotics club is the bond that each member shares. “We are more than just teammates; we are like brothers and sisters,” he concluded.
Team Mentor, Arrianna Mahase, also speaking with DPI, highlighted some of the challenges faced by the group. The team captain said notwithstanding the many hiccups, including the robots not arriving at its destination on time, herself and colleagues demonstrated what it truly means to work collectively.
“Robotics is one of those fields that we can implement; that you don’t necessarily need a high level of education or technology background, it’s a habit one can adopt and they will learn a lot of things. We can pull students from everywhere in Guyana regardless of their background,” Mahase underscored.
Minister of State, Hon. Dawn Hastings-Williams, Minister of Public Telecommunications, Hon. Catherine Hughes, Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Nicolette Henry, Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, and representatives from the Ministry of Communities, were also present at the event.
Minister Hughes also presented each of the group members with an electronic tablet, on behalf of her ministry, to further enhance their practical skills.