Unlocking the Potential of Young Minds: The 13th World Robot Olympiad in Mexico Encourages Gender Diversity and STEM Education

The 13th edition of the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) will be held in Mexico in 2024, and its national organizer, Jorge Hernández Huerta, is determined to democratize robotics and promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) education among children. He emphasizes the importance of encouraging participation from girls and young people to address existing gender disparities.

Hernández Huerta believes that providing children with experiences in various fields can lay the foundation for their future career choices. The WRO aligns with Mexico’s mission to introduce children to robotics and other technology-related fields from a young age. Over the past 12 years, Mexico has made significant strides in introducing children as young as five years old to robotics and STEAM education.

The WRO boasts over 95 affiliated countries and a community of more than 75,000 students globally. It is a thematic competition that offers various categories for teams of children and young people aged 8 to 19 to apply their knowledge to real-world challenges using STEAM and robotics. This year’s theme is “Allies of the Earth.”

Teams of 2 or 3 participants, guided by a coach, will design, build, and program a robot model capable of completing challenges aligned with the competition’s theme. Registration information, rules, and details can be found on the WRO website. The tournament will have qualifying rounds between May and July, culminating in the national final in September and the international final in Turkey in November.

In summary, the WRO aims to increase participation from girls and adolescents while nurturing talent from childhood through appropriate spaces and tools. It empowers early on students while offering opportunities for future vocational training through exposure to various fields related to technology-related fields such as robotics.