Champion Robotics Team Visit Belize High School
A robotics team from the United States concluded a visit to Belize today. BrainSTEM, the State and World Champions FTC, has partnered with the Belize High School Robotics team to demonstrate FIRST Core Values as they relate to discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion and teamwork. The hands-on workshop allowed participants to get a better understanding of the concepts discussed. Having heard about BHS’ goal to start twenty new robotics teams in Belize, BrainSTEM students raised funds to acquire robotic kits to kick start the new teams’ introduction to robotics. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
The visit today from the US Championship Team, the Giant Diencephalic BrainSTEM Robotics Team to the Belize High School is a partnership in which Belizean robotic enthusiasts will be able to hone their skills and learn new techniques. The workshop aims to provide hands-on experience in engineering and programming using the specialized FIRST game kits. Godfrey Sosa is the IT Director and Robotics Mentor at BHS.
Godfrey Sosa
Godfrey Sosa, IT Director, Belize High School
“Whenever we visit at these international competitions, we tend to network, we tend to build relationships with other teams, we tend to reach out to others – they learn about our country; we get to learn about theirs and in addition to that, they are always on the edge to help. So whenever you are talking about what you are doing home and the vigour and all of these things that are happening within your country and you coming from such a small country and winning an international robotics competition at that level, then it puts eyes on you. So people start getting that recognition out there and say okay, how can we help? How can we make this better?”
The folks from the BrainSTEM FIRST Tech Challenge Team came with gifts, resources that will be used to expand the robotics program countrywide.
Lucas Boyle
Lucas Boyle, Member, Giant Diencephalic BrainSTEM Robotics Team
“This is my eighth year in first robotics. The way that I started, I was into legos and so I found a summer camp and I was doing lego robotics and I started getting into it. I wasn’t really into the robotics part at first, but once I started getting into it, it was really cool seeing the legos actually move. From there, I found out about the First Lego League which is lego robotics, and it hooked me right away. For the first lego league program here, the school had ordered kits, but they didn’t have a lot and they wanted to start some more robotics teams and so we helped to fundraise to get the resource for twenty new spike kits and we were able to acquire them. So we actually were able to help them with that.”
It’s an exciting moment for the Belizean champions. News Five spoke with them about the passion that they’ve developed for robotics.
Uday Tilwani
Uday Tilwani, Senior, Belize High School
“My first robotics competition was FLL, and then I moved on to FRC which is the top. And now, I am going FGC.”
Duane Moody
“How has it been so far?”
Uday Tilwani
“It’s really fun. I’ve learned a lot over the two years I’ve been in robotics and just the environment that you’re in. Travelling with teams, meeting other teams, meeting other people – it is really a fun experience. I think Belize should really implement more robotics competitions especially in schools because I have learnt a lot, but it is a great opportunity for children to learn about engineering, math, physics and everything like that.”
Lia Hunt
Lia Hunt, Junior, Belize High School
“I think it is the idea that I can make something that can better lives but also that I can have fun with at the same time. It is also an enjoyable experience to do with friends, but building robots is just something I do in general.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
