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**Donates 100 Robots To Schools
Tayo Olanekun
The United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria, in collaboration with a U.S.-based robotics education academy, RoboRave International, commenced, toady, a week-long robotics workshop for Nigerian students and their teachers.
A total of 460 elementary, secondary, and university students, STEM teachers, robotics enthusiasts, and scientists will undergo the training, which started at the American Corner of the Co-Creation Hub (CCHUB), Yaba, Lagos.
The exercise will move to the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library Complex, Abeokuta, Ogun State where it will end on October 28, after taking place for three days in each of the the states, according to a statement from the U.S Consulate.
One hundred robots will be donated free-of-charge to participating schools in Lagos and Ogun states to provide the students and their teachers with an opportunity to put their skills to use, statement added.
United States Consul General, John Bray, explained that the U.S. Mission is supporting the workshop to inspire participants to work collaboratively with the aid of technology to create innovative solutions to shared global challenges.
“In a world that’s becoming increasingly technology-driven, it’s more important than ever before for our youth to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to become innovators, educators, researchers, and leaders who can solve the most pressing challenges facing our world, both today and tomorrow. We are honored to support this initiative that promotes science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — subjects collectively known as STEM— in Nigeria,” Consul General Bray said.
Program partner and Director RoboRAVE Nigeria, Mr. Kingsley Imade, explained that the training sessions will be facilitated by an international faculty, including RoboRAVE International Director of Global Programs Russ Fisher-Ives, and RoboRAVE North America Director Brian Montoya.
According to him, the sessions focusing on robotics designs and programming will provide a platform for teachers to learn how to implement the STEM approach in the educational process via practical scientific activities, throughout the training days.
“An education to develop robotics skills places students on track to develop such STEM enabling competencies like critical and computational thinking, collaboration and creativity that has lifelong advantages,” Imade, said.
