YOUNG ENGINEERS UGANDA SHINE AT INAUGURAL UGANDA NATIONAL STEM AND VEX ROBOTICS CHAMPIONSHIP!!
Kampala, Uganda – 3rd November 2024, The African School of Innovations Science and Technology, a leading STEM and Robotics Organization in Uganda, successfully hosted the inaugural Uganda National STEM and Vex Robotics Championship on November 29, 2024, at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa.
The event, held under the organization’s flagship brand Young Engineers Uganda, brought together over 200 students from over 25 schools across the country. The championship featured two main categories: the Vex Championship, with Vex IQ and VEX V5 sub-categories, and the STEM Championship, with Agritech and Energytech projects.
“We are thrilled to have provided a platform for Uganda’s young engineers to showcase their skills and creativity, said Ms Maureen Karamagi Chief Executive Officer at At Young Engineers Uganda.”The championship is a testament to the country’s growing interest in STEM education and its potential to drive innovation and economic growth.”
The Vex Championship saw intense competition among participating schools, with Daffodils Primary School and The Stoneridge School emerging as overall winners in the Vex IQ category. Acorns International School and Soroti Municipal SS took top honors in the VEX V5 category.
These four schools will represent Uganda at the Vex Robotics World Championship in Dallas, USA, next year. When asked about their experience, Agaba Twinemanzi, student from Daffodils Primary School exclaimed, “We’re over the moon! We worked so hard as a team, and it’s amazing to see our efforts pay off. We can’t wait to represent Uganda on the global stage!”
The STEM Championship also featured two main categories: Agritech and Energy-tech. Both categories had two sub-categories: Senior and Junior.
In the Agritech Senior Category, Kampala Diplomatic International School took first place with their Smart Irrigation System Project. Ntare School secured second and third places with their Integrated Automatic Hydroponics project and AgriBot project, respectively.
In the Agritech Junior Category, Edusmith International Christian School won first place with their Garden Rover Project. Little Petals International School took second place with their Mechanical Plough Project, while Buyala Junior School won third place with their Automated Crop Harvester Project.
In the Energy-tech Senior Category, YE-Semawatta Center won first place with their Cyber Truck Project, and The Stoneridge School took second place with their Gesture-Controlled System Project.
In the Energy-tech Junior Category, Shekinah International School won first place with their Water and Air Turbine Project. Kampala Academy took second place with their Intruder Detection System Project, while YE-Semawatta Center won third place with their Mars Rover Project.
All these schools will represent Uganda at the International Greenwich Olympiad in the UK next year.
Special awards were also presented, including the Innovative Award, which went to The Stoneridge School for their Cable Car Project. Heritage International School received the Girl-Powered Award.
“One of the most impressive aspects of this championship is the level of creativity and innovation displayed by the students,” said Victor Paul Kawagga, a judge at the event. “It’s clear that these young minds are passionate about STEM and are already thinking about ways to apply their knowledge to real-world problems”.
The inaugural Uganda National STEM and Vex Robotics Championship was made possible through the support of various institutions and organizationsand and these were; UNDP, Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of ICT, Eaton-Cooperation, NEC-UPDF, VEX Robotics, REC-Foundation, Kazire Health Products and Young Engineers Uganda. As the country continues to emphasize the importance of STEM education, events like this championship play a vital role in inspiring and nurturing the next generation of innovators and leaders.
Arinaitwe Rugyendo, Director at Young Engineers Uganda, aptly put it “we believe that by providing opportunities like this championship, we can empower Uganda’s young engineers to become the driving force behind the country’s future growth and development.” The Young Engineers Uganda program started in 2015, at the time of starting, many people didn’t think this was important. I had to appeal to friends to give me their kids to use as Trial participants, and here we are operating in over 25 schools across the country which is a big achievement for the program, Uganda has a future’’.
