Kenya proudly participated in the 2024 FIRST Global Challenge, continuing its tradition to inspire youth through STEM by participating in the event. Since 2017, Team Kenya has taken part in this global competition, leveraging robotics not just to compete, but to foster innovation and collaboration. This year’s theme, Feeding the Future, was especially relevant to Kenya, where agriculture plays a vital role in the economy.
The 15-member team, aged 15 to 18, worked hard to design, build, and program their robot while addressing real-world challenges like food waste. Supported by mentors, the team collaborated with farmers to understand agricultural issues and explored how technology could offer solutions. Their goal was not only to compete but also to make a positive impact at home.
Ahead of the event in Athens, Greece, from September 26–29 Team Kenya, supported by TME Education, conducted outreach programs across various high schools, with the goal of expanding STEM and Robotics to all 47 counties in Kenya. These camps focused not only on robotics but also on other STEM tools such as the TME Education Arduino kit. These camps, along with a local robotics competition using previous REV robotics kits, laid the foundation for their mission to make robotics accessible throughout the country.
Inspired by FIRST Global founder Dean Kamen’s words: "We do not use kids to build robots; we use robots to build kids". Team Kenya saw the challenge as an opportunity to shape their futures. Their vision extended beyond the competition as they worked to promote robotics as a sport and encourage Kenyan youth to embrace STEM.
The 2024 FIRST Global Challenge was a triumph not only for Team Kenya but for the broader STEM community in Kenya. Their participation underscored the nation’s growing commitment to using STEM to address pressing global issues and demonstrated the power of youth-driven innovation. Team Kenya returned home with pride, ready to continue their mission of spreading the message of STEM across the country.
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