FOR the past four years, Halls of Learning – a Kingston-based educational institution – has been offering training for young Jamaicans in computer technology with the hope of revolutionising ways of thinking in society.

The institution has been running workshops in Robotic programming, Video game production process, 3-D computer animation and Digital Music composition.

Without a stable home base, the summer workshops and after school programmes are held on the grounds of the University of the West Indies, Mona, Campion College and Hillel Academy.

But founder, Marvin Hall is not deterred by such limitations.

“Halls of Learning is committed to providing the highest quality educational experiences for young people in computing, equal to, or exceeding international standards,” Hall told the Observer. “Our mission is to inspire, excite and stimulate our learners and help them find avenues to their potential.”

Two Thursdays ago, Hall and a team of seven inner-city students left the island to participate in the F.I.R.S.T LEGO League (FLL) robotics competition in San Jose, California. The four-day competition, which began yesterday, is expected to run until Tuesday. This is the third year that Jamaica is being represented in the league.

The primary and high school students, ages ten to 14 years, were selected from a group of 100 scholarship awardees that attended the organisation’s Creations Lab programme last summer. The scholarships were sponsored by the National Commercial Bank (NCB) and the United States-based Vickers One Corporation while the team’s expenses for last week’s trip were covered by the Bank of Nova Scotia to the tune of $719,000.

“The theme for this year’s (robotic competition) is Ocean Odyssey and as a part of the project section, the students had to identify an activity that impacts on the health and biodiversity of our rivers, streams and oceans,” Hall said.

The Jamaicans focussed on garbage disposal in gullies and the effects on the Kingston Harbour, one of the most natural in the world.

Since October of last year, the team which is based at the Jones Town Centre for Change in Kingston, has been on numerous field trips to the Harbour to conduct research on how poor garbage disposal practices impact on communities.

For the robotics aspect, Hall said their presentation to the panel of judges will focus on how robot programming on the ocean floor can help to minimise the negative effects of garbage disposal.

Hall, who holds a Masters degree in Educational Technology from UWI, told the Observer that instructors are invited annually from the US to conduct workshops, while some local instructors are taken abroad for training.

“So far it has been fairly successful,” Hall said.

“There is a growing demand for our services from young adults in the corporate area so our long term goal is to extend the programme to rural areas,” he explained.

“We dont have our own offices but in the future we hope to set up wireless mobile labs to be able to have workshops throughout the year and to cater to a wider scope of persons,” he said.