Team Uganda at Vex World Robotics Championship in Dallas last year
A student of St. Mary’s College Kisubi (SMACK) is leading a team of teenagers set to represent Uganda at the Vex World Robotics Championship in the United States.
Laurean Rugambwa Rugyendo, a Senior Two teenager will lead seven others drawn from different schools around Kampala to the competition which kicks off on April 26 and will last two weeks in Dallas, Texas.
The team of talented teenagers from Young Engineers Uganda, a STEM Education afterschool program that runs in various schools in Kampala, has secured a prestigious spot at the Vex Robotics World Championship 2024 for the second year running.
They are jetting out of the country this Thursday to represent the nation at the ‘World Cup’ of Robotics competitions pitching over 2000 teams from 55 nations against each other.
“I am very excited to lead the team and we hope to do better than last year and bring more honors to our nation,” an excited Rugyendo told our journalists at the Young Engineers Uganda office on Semawatta Road, Ntinda Kampala.
He added that the program has been instrumental in helping him improve his performance in Maths and Physics at SMACK, as well as the practical part of the competence-based O’level curriculum.
“This is why we are going to face the whole world and we will square out with the first-world countries who are very advanced in technology,” he added.
The children who are part of the wider Young Engineers network of schools in the central region have been undergoing intensive preparations for the global showdown featuring many teams emerging from first-world countries.
The other teenagers are Tabitha Irungi Aloyo, Leona Pauline Ainemukama Muhangi, Linda Lesly Praise Kansiime, Queen Ankunda Kajwengye, Mathew Joe Muwaya, and Housna Kasemire Rashid. Their coaches are Allen Nanyonjo and Monica Arinaitwe.
Young Engineers Uganda, a STEM Education program under the African School of Innovations Science and Technology (ASIST) Ltd, focuses on nurturing the next generation of Ugandan scientists, innovators, problem solvers, and creative thinkers through a LEGO and Robotics after-school curriculum.
The programme which runs as an afterschool educational enrichment offer is present in over 20 schools and is growing with plans to cover the whole country in five years. It started in 2016 from one school.
STEM, an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, forms the cornerstone of this program, aimed at equipping young minds with the skills needed for success in the modern world.
The Vex Robotics World Championship, scheduled in Dallas, Texas from April 26 to May 4, 2024, will bring together over 2,200 teams from more than 50 countries. This event promises to be a thrilling showcase of innovation and talent in robotics.
Ms. Alen Nanyonjo, the team’s head coach confirmed that Mr. Dan Mantz, CEO of the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, extended a warm invitation to VEX Robotics team Uganda early this year, expressing excitement about their participation in this prestigious event. Acknowledging the significance of the championship in promoting education and career opportunities in STEM fields, Mr. Mantz emphasized the importance of fostering self-confidence, communication, and problem-solving skills among young participants from around the world.
Team Uganda’s journey to the Vex Robotics World Championship follows their remarkable performance at the Pan African Robotics Competitions (PARC 2022) in Dakar, Senegal, where they clinched a bronze medal. Their success underlines the program’s dedication to nurturing talent and fostering innovative solutions to real-world challenges.
Ms. Allen Nanyonjo, Head of STEAM at Young Engineers Uganda and head coach of Team Uganda, emphasized the importance of equipping students with the skills needed to tackle complex challenges in today’s world. Through participation in the championship, the team aims to inspire a new generation of problem solvers and innovators.
