Calabar

High School has won the 2020 For Inspiration

and Recognition

of Science

and Technology

(FIRST) Tech Challenge for institutions in Jamaica.

The competition, which is open to high-school students between grades seven and 12, requires the participants to design, build, programme and operate robots and compete in a head-to-head challenge in an alliance format.

The victory for Calabar, which topped the 30 schools participating in two days of competition, culminating with the announcement on February 29, represents the institution’s first in a major robotics competition.

The team will now advance to the competition’s international round, which is scheduled for Texas in the United States of America (USA), in April.

The

members include Captain and Student Engineer, Joel Tulloch; Student Public

Relations Officer and Driver of the Robot, Jeremy Bonfield; Student Engineer,

Rory Allen; Student Electrical Engineer, Raheem Ford; Student Programmer, David

Lynch; Student Driver, Tyrique Murray; Student Engineer, Alex Hutchinson; and

Student Engineer, Devein Peart.

One of the competition’s objectives is to help students develop science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills and practise engineering principles while realising the value of hard work, innovation, and teamwork.

In

addition to designing and building robots, the competition requires teams to

raise funds, design and market their brand, and undertake community outreach to

earn specific awards.

The

victorious Calabar team received a rousing welcome and applause from Minister

of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Hon. Alando

Terrelonge, as well as students and teachers, as they entered the institution’s

Chapel for the weekly devotional exercise.

Mr Terrelonge said he was elated to see the innovativeness being displayed by the boys, against the background of the onset of the technology-driven fourth industrial revolution.

“We are

very proud of them. The students at Calabar have set a great example for all

young men, not just at Calabar but our young men in Jamaica. Having won the

Inspire Award, Calabar has shown that they have made great improvements in

STEM,” he stated.

The State

Minister noted that Calabar has “demonstrated the importance of becoming

innovators of technology”.

 “As a society, we must not only be consumers

of technology, but we must now become innovators of technology. That is the

future. That is how we are going to build a modern economy which has a base in

technology in the fourth revolution,” he added.