Habele will spinoff Robo League, aims for full localization of funding and operations

High school-based robotics in Micronesia has always been student centered and student driven. Now Habele, the US nonprofit that initiated the Robo League, looks to make that local ownership official. The NGO is sunsetting its role as steward of the Robo League after more than a decade.

Habele’s introduced high school robotics to the FSM in 2012 when the charity initiated a two-school pilot project in Yap, funded entirely by private individual donations. From 2017 through 2023 the Robo League expanded across the all four FSM states through the generous support of an Insular Affairs technical assistance grant, growing into a scalable demonstration project, serving students at two dozen public and private high schools throughout Micronesia.

 

The basic unit of the Robo League has been school-based clubs at the high schools. Students worked to design, build, test and refine simple robots capable of navigating obstacles and accomplishing tasks.

With training and benchmarks along the way, the students worked over the course of the school years toward multi-school, annual statewide robotics exhibitions. Schools’ robots were pitted against one another in friendly competition. Habele provided equipment, in-person and online instructional opportunities, and facilitated organization of schools to make it possible. The real work was done by the eager and ambitious Micronesian high schoolers themselves.

This model, evolved and refined over a decade with state specific adaptations, was educationally effective and economically efficient. Because students learned and mastered skills through hands-on problem solving themselves, the Robo League did not require costly spending on new buildings, the hiring or retraining of additional school staff, or a particularly large outlay on equipment and supplies.

With each passing year the role of the school staff, and more significantly the student themselves, in overseeing instructional and administrative aspects grew. Through a “peer-to-peer” model, experienced students and staff provided instruction and support to new league members. Robo League teams also represented the Micronesian nation in international robotics competitions in 2017 and 2022. A group of “robo ambassadors” even flew to the Marshall Islands in 2019 to introduce robotics to students on Kwajalein.

“A decade ago, we set about to see if Micronesian students could be excited and educated about Science Math Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in effective ways that didn’t rely heavily on existing personnel, equipment and infrastructure,” explained Neil Mellen, Habele’s Founder and Executive Director. “At the time I could not have imagined it would grow to involve two dozen schools across Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae States.”

If Micronesia’s state and national leaders see value in what was done and learned, they may choose to sustain and further evolve the Robo League through localization of the funding and operation of the league. It would be exciting -to see this moved from practice to policy- but certainly that is their choice to make, not mine,” continued Mellen. “Either way, I’m tremendously proud of what so many students and educators have accomplished over the last decade through the course of this endeavor.”

Though winding down its role in the Robo League, Habele will continue to offer tuition scholarships to students attending private elementary and high schools in the FSM, donations to schools and libraries, direct monthly book deliveries to children under the age of five (“Young Island Readers”), and donations of tools to traditional carvers and weavers. Learn more at www.habele.org

Hands On STEM Brings Micronesian Students Together

This May, students from public and private schools across Pohnpei gathered at the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School gymnasium for the 5th Annual Pohnpei Robo Day. This yearly exhibition of applied Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) allows students to demonstrate their creative problem-solving skills in friendly competition with peers.

Five teams went head-to-head with the robots constructed by each robotics club, maneuvering the machines through a series of timed challenges for points, with the final match determining the Robo Day Champion and runner up.

Pohnpei Island Central School’s team (PICS) entered the 2023 competition with the momentum of having recently competed internationally at the FIRST Global International Robotics Challenge in Switzerland. In 2022, the PICS team represented the entire FSM at the challenge, placing highly among the other small nations competing. This year, however, home field advantage carried the day, and Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School kept the Champion’s trophy.

The team placements were:

First – Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School
Second – Pohnpei Island Central School
Third – Pohnpei Catholic School
Fourth – Nanpei Memorial High School
Fifth – Calvary Christian Academy

A new challenge is already in the works for next year’s Robo Day, requiring all robotics clubs to start from scratch in designing a robot to compete.

The Robo League is uniquely student-driven, allowing students to explore and experiment with complex technologies and concepts in a hands on way. Robo Day challenges give all participants the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills to tough problems, and come up with creative and effective solutions. Even students who might not see themselves as “math and science types” can be drawn in to engage a lifelong love of STEM.

“The young people at Robo Day will grow up to help lead the FSM,” says Matt Coleman, Habele’s Director of Operations. “The Robo League is helping them develop the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in a world driven by STEM innovation.”

The Robo League was introduced to Pohnpei in 2018 by Habele, a US nonprofit founded by former Peace Corps volunteers who taught in Micronesia. Habele first introduced robotics to Micronesia in 2011, and has trained and supported participating high schools across all four FSM states through a technical assistance partnership with the Office of Insular Affairs.

PICS High School Robotics Team visits Governor Oliver ahead of trip to Geneva, Switzerland for the First Global Robotics Challenge

Press release from Pohnpei State Public Information Office. October 7, 2022

Governor Oliver welcomed the PICS High School Robotics team to the Governor’s Office on the morning of October 7, 2022.

The PICS High School Robotics team will be participating in the First Global Robotics Challenge in Geneva, Switzerland representing the Federated States of Micronesia.

 Governor Oliver congratulated each student for their hard work and dedication and expressed his pride in their accomplishments, especially in the field of robotics. He thanked the advisor/teacher Mrs. Tekaeto Diopolous for her guidance and hard work with the students. Governor Oliver wished the students all the best, expressing his gratitude and pride for the team, as they will not only represent their families and their school, but also the State of Pohnpei and the Federated States of Micronesia abroad.  He encouraged the students to continue with their interest in Robotics, and look towards finding solutions through robotics for the challenges we face in our islands. 

The PICS High School team is compromised of Advisor Mrs. Tekaeto Diopolous, Education Specialist Darla Ladore, Chennelle Cantero, Eberhard Salons, J.C. Curley, Einstein Halbert, and Norman Pedrus.

The First Global Challenge is a yearly Olympics-style competition in Robotics, that was created to promote Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education. 

 The 2022 First Global Challenge will be held in Geneva, Switzerland from October 13 – 16, 2022.  Over 180 countries will attend in the spirit of global purpose, unity, and collaboration, for the first time since 2019, because of the global pandemic.  

 https://pohnpeistate.gov.fm/2022/10/07/pics-high-school-robotics-team-visits-governor-oliver-ahead-of-trip-to-geneva-switzerland-for-the-first-global-robotics-challenge/

Pohnpei high school students leverage online training for STEM development

Students at high schools participating in the Habele Robo League across the FSM are taking advantage of online training opportunities to develop new skills for their school robotics clubs. At Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School in Pohnpei, seven students and a teacher recently completed a twenty-hour training course to become certified in the basics of VEX V5 robotics. 

This course was introduced to schools in the 2019-20 school year through the Habele Certification Challenge, a program incentivizing staff and students to pursue individual learning, with an emphasis on developing opportunities for peer-to-peer instruction. This year, schools were again invited to participate in the certification challenge, with both new students and veteran students incentivized to grow their knowledge of core materials. Schools with a staff member and student earning certification were awarded a 3D printer to add a new dimension of hands on technical training for robotics clubs. Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School was one of the first schools to add a 3D printer to their school’s STEM capacity, and continues to set the pace this year for students engaging in technical training and growth. 

OLMCHS’s online robotics training is supported by a robust wireless network, which was equipped in the early days of the pandemic by a partnership between Habele and the Office of Insular affairs. This buildout of wireless capacity served the dual purpose of providing schools with the capacity to still make use of expatriate teachers (across a variety of subjects), and allowing robotics clubs to independently engage with STEM learning online. 

Habele is a US nonprofit, established by former Peace Corps Volunteers, that serves students and schools across Micronesia. Habele provides tuition scholarships, book donations, tools for traditional craftsmen, and introduced high school-based robotics to the FSM in 2011. Support for the Robo League comes through a partnership with the Office of Insular Affairs. 

Any student at a participating Robo League high school in Micronesia is invited to take the training challenge. All details can be found at www.habele.org/training.

Pohnpei Science Fair Highlights Robotics Learning

In May, students from high schools and elementary schools across Pohnpei gathered for the 2021 Science Fair at Pohnpei Island Central School (PICS). The PICS booth showcased the achievements of the school’s Robo Club, including a full scale competition game board for visitors to try their hand at directing robots through various challenges.

In addition to opportunities for hands-on interaction with robotics, PICS displayed their state-of-the-art 3D printer, one of the few to be found in the islands. The printer will be used to fabricate custom parts for robotics builds and competitions, while growing student knowledge of a rapidly evolving technology. PICS was one of four high schools across the Federated States of Micronesia to be awarded a 3D printer, after having robotics instructors and students successfully complete a virtual robotics certification course.

PICS has been a member of the Habele Robo League since 2018, and is one of 23 participating high schools across the FSM.

 

Schools Across Micronesia Earn Robotics Certification

Thirty seven teachers and students at high schools across the Federated States of Micronesia have earned certification in robotics operation and instruction.

The Robo Certification Challenge was opened by Habele Outer Island Education Fund in December of 2020, offering participating high schools the opportunity to advance their understanding of robotics, and earn cutting edge equipment for their robotics clubs.

The challenge consisted of completing a free, online certification course of about twenty hours of material, and passing a test on the the information learned. The remote robotics course requires no background in the subject, and covers basic robotics concepts, construction, programming, and instruction of others in the material. The course was made available to all staff and students at high schools participating in the Habele Robo League.

The first four high schools to have both a teacher and student earn certification were awarded a state-of-the-art 3D printer for their robotics club. Laptops were awarded to the first teacher to obtain certification, as well as the first students in grades 9-12 who earned the certificate.

Between December 2020 and the close of the Certification Challenge in March of 2021, six schools across three FSM states had thirty-seven teachers and students certified. The four high schools winning the grand prize of a 3D printer were Yap Catholic High School, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School, Pohnpei Catholic School, and PICS High School. An honorable mention goes to Akoyikoyi School in Chuuk, who – while not a high school – had an eighth grader and teacher both earn certification.

“Schools are taking advantage of creative ways to expand their students knowledge,” says Matt Coleman of Habele. “This challenge meshed remote instruction with new material, and gave students in island classrooms another tool in learning how to train their peers.”

The Certification Challenge is the latest adaptation and evolution of Habele’s FSM-wide high school robotics league. Established in 2011, Habele Robo provides hands-on STEM learning that excites students about real world application of math and science.

“This has been a challenging year for schools in Micronesia, but Habele has been with us every step of the way, says Russell Figueras of OLMCHS. “From donations of campus networking equipment, to online technical instruction, Habele has helped us empower classroom instruction during a time of uncertainty for our school’s operations.”

Habele is a registered nonprofit founded by Peace Corps volunteers serving in Micronesia.

Robo Day 2021 in Pohnpei, Micronesia

Students from high schools across Pohnpei gathered in mid-April for “Robo Day 2021” to showcase their achievements in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

The young men and women from Pohnpei, an island in the Federated States of Micronesia, worked throughout the school year in preparation for the competition.

Robo Days culminate the school year long robotics league, which serves public and private students across all four Micronesian States.

Robotics offers Micronesian students a strong grounding in problem solving. It sparks learning by letting them experiment with ideas in real world situations.

The Robo League is student driven and responsive to learners’ interest. It engages students who might not think of themselves as “math and science types.”

Habele, a US nonprofit, organizes, equips and trains high schools in the Robo League. Habele was founded by former Peace Corps volunteers who taught in Micronesia. The nonprofit first introduced robotics to Micronesia in 2011.

Support from the US Government comes through the Office of Insular Affair, which provides technical assistance funding for development projects in Micronesia.

The US-FSM relationship is historically, strategically, and politically unique. Shared goals of regional openness and sustainable development are based on decades of common history and partnership.

Habele’s Robo League is building the knowledge and skills of future island leaders. These leaders will tackle complex multi-faceted challenges. At the same time, Habele is deepening the US-FSM partnership, ensuring those challenges can be faced as a team.

With elimination matches completed by mid afternoon, the field was slowly narrowed and the Pohnpei Robo Day winners were announced:

  1. Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School
  2. Calvary Christian Academy
  3. Pohnpei Island Central School

Despite COVID, Robotics Expands Across Micronesia

Despite the chaos of COVID, Micronesia’s high school robotics rolled forward in 2019-20.

This was a school year of expansion and cultivation for the Habele Robo League. Students in Kosrae were equipped and trained. Schools in Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei expanded mastery of robotics, deepening capacity and ownership.

Expansion – Extending Robotics to Kosrae State

Expansion into Kosrae made the Robo League a truly nationwide program, serving students across all four Micronesian States.

Introduction of robotics to Kosrae was met with high enthusiasm by students, educators and government officials, some of whom had tracked the robotics league’s progress in other FSM states, and have been waiting for the opportunity to participate.

2019-20 Habele League Coverage

The Kosrae Robo League presents unique challenges, as the majority of high school students on-island attend one central high school (Kosrae High School). This requires creating multiple, competitive clubs within Kosrae High School. By contrast, in the other three FSM states, inter-school competition is a crucial component of the Robo League, and one that generates high levels of ownership and engagement.

Habele continues to refine the Robo League model to accommodate clubs in a wide variety of situations. Provisioning four or more clubs in a single school required special attention and training, but equipped them for dynamic competition within their own school and other states in the future.

Students in Kosrae, Micronesia opening new robotics kits at a Habele training workshop

Kosrae High School was provided with enough robotics equipment to form up to six clubs from their large student body. Students and staff were also provided extensive hands-on technical training. As the school year progressed the Kosrae clubs made it clear: they were eager to demonstrate mastery of the technology.

Despite a Spring semester disrupted by pandemic concerns, Kosrae High School successfully held their first-ever Kosrae Robo Day. Even in uncertain times, the event generated interest and engagement from staff and students. Going forward, the hope is to build community engagement, as people feel more comfortable gathering in large groups. Staff and student surveys noted that the Kosrae Robo Clubs are eager to remain part of the League, and to deepen students’ understanding of the material.

Robo League teacher and administrator training focuses on capacity building

Intra-Micronesia communication remains a challenge, as Kosrae is the last state to remain unconnected to the undersea fiber optic cable. Internet access is extremely limited especially for staff not immediately in school offices, an issue that grew as teachers and administrators practiced social distancing away from campus. In some cases, communication is limited to traditional mail via the FSMPS / USPS, which creates a lag in updates from Kosrae, compared to Robo Clubs from the three other FSM states. Fostering school-to-school, and state-to-state, communication in other states has been a key part of improving those teams ownership and performance. It is encouraging to see the commitment to STEM instruction from Kosrae educators, despite these challenges.

Cultivation – Taking Incumbent Schools to the Next Level

Following a very successful introductory year in 2018, participants in the Pohnpei Robo League were on a solid trajectory to build on the momentum. In addition to the previous participants, Madolenihmw High School was equipped to begin their own Robo Club. This rural high school had heard about the robotics competition, and was eager to be involved.

Madolenihmw High School joining the Pohnpei Robo League

Habele conducted extensive meetings with participating schools and key staff, assessing interest, engagement, and ownership of the Pohnpei Robo League. Interest remained high, and high engagement clubs provided support and an example for clubs with teachers newer to the subject. Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School (OLMCHS) continued to serve as on-island leader for the Robo League. OLMCHS organized and hosted all multi-school events, communicated with participating clubs, and worked to build community interest in the Robo League.

Needs assessment visits with schools like OLMCHS in the fall provided insights that would become extremely valuable once schools were impacted by COVID-19 protocols. Particularly, the sluggish wireless networks and internet connections that independent schools were attempting to use for remote training and instruction.

Chuuk likewise began the 2019-2020 school year with a lot of momentum. Their 2018 Robo Day was one of the best conducted in the FSM, with significant school and community involvement, and high levels of ownership. With a highly successful Robo Day under their belts, clubs were very motivated to increase competitiveness.

Students in Chuuk were the most clear and knowledgeable source of information about needed equipment, which Habele provisioned. It was clear: Robo progress in Chuuk was fundamentally student-driven.

Additionally, Habele formed a relationship with Akoyikoyi School, a K-8 charter school serving low income students in Chuuk. This school indicated in interest in pre-training for students who intend to pursue robotics when they matriculate to high school.

Robo Club in Yap State finalizing their robot design

Yap State -where the league began in 2011- continued to lead the way for the Robo League. High levels of ownership and student leadership provide an exemplary template for developing clubs in other states. One practical example of this leadership is in game development. As with last year, students in Yap developed their own game for the final Robo Day competition, and offered to it to participants in other states to use. Yapese students and educators service as peer-to-peer trainers has enriched and grown the cooperative nature of the Robo League between states.

The use of peer-to-peer instruction adds complexity to the program, but has proven educationally effective. It also advances the Robo League’s secondary goals of increasing student ownership, and growing a unified sense of Micronesian identity.

All seven high schools across Yap State are enthusiastic participants in the Robo League. Because of internet and phone access, communication with the high schools on Ulithi and Woleai Atolls remains a challenge. Despite this information lag, Habele has still been able to provision schools with necessary equipment and materials to successfully compete.

Adaptation – School-by-School Problem Solving Amidst COVID

As Robo Clubs across the FSM geared up for the home stretch towards 2020 Robo Day, global pandemic sent shockwaves through the education community. Some schools closed and sent students to their home islands. Other schools closed temporarily, and hoped for word from State Departments of Education that they could reopen and finish the semester.

Students lead the way in raising school and community awareness of the Robo League

Expatriate teachers went off island, and were unable to return. Many local teachers and staff were off-island for training and similarly found themselves unable to return. For schools that did re-open to finish the semester, the focus was moving towards graduation with a focus on core subjects.

In three of the FSM states, the traditional large public gathering for statewide Robo Day was not an option. Kosrae was the exception, and held an in-person Robo Day before ending their semester early. Habele worked with partner schools in Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei to develop a means by which students could remotely compete, with or without their school being opened.


Winners of the Kosrae Robo Day, 2020

Using versions of the competition game developed by the Student Leadership Team in Yap, Habele made videos carefully instructing students in how to create their own “socially distanced” game board, and laid out each step of the competition process. From home or school, a student could create their own game board using very simple materials (tape, toilet paper, and a stick), run their robot through a series of challenges, and have someone film them on a cell phone for time. Videos of each challenge had to be uploaded to Facebook, and tagged @habelerobo to be included in the competition.


Socially distant, single student modification of Robo Game developed by students in Yap

These steps were communicated to staff at participating schools directly and through our partner schools. One of the key messages was that no staff resources were needed for students to participate. Students in the Robo Clubs simply needed access to the robotics equipment, and could follow the simple instructions to compete.

Our partner schools and state lead schools worked hard to reinforce the ease of participation, and the opportunity for senior students to have a final Robo Day challenge before graduation, while complying with all safety protocols required by each state. For schools still in session, and where local mandates would allow, students could still have their Robo Day.

Hybrid Robo Day in Pohnpei, 2020

Pohnpei held a hybrid Robo Day competition, with only private schools participating, as leadership at the public schools had either shut down, or were focused on closing out the school year as quickly as possible. The Robo Clubs that did participate submitted videos of the challenges, and even held a socially-distanced award ceremony for the students, who were extremely proud of having participated.

Yap High School’s team for Robo Day 2020

Yap State also participated in the 2020 Robo Day with private and public schools competing through the submission of videos. Habele is grateful to the Yap State Department of Education for its ongoing commitment to the Robo League. Participation was significantly lower than in past years, as travel to the Outer Islands was in flux, and some schools had shut down, or had key staff trapped off island.

Outdoor, socially distant, Robots running the course in Pohnpei

Despite all the enthusiasm in Chuuk leading towards Robo Day, pandemic uncertainty severely limited participation in a remote Robo Day. Xavier High School, our key partner school in Chuuk, shut down, and sent non-Chuukese staff and off-island students home. For on-island students that wanted to participate, and had equipment, Xavier assigned community service projects that would have usually happened after the school year. Public schools, and other private schools shut down, attempting to comply with evolving state mandates. Even as the 2020-21 school year began, many schools in Chuuk remained in a holding pattern, trying to discern how they could comply with state government health and safety mandates.


Robotics kit headed to Akoyikoyi in Weno, Chuuk

A hopeful element for the Chuuk Robo League is the relationship being cultivated with Akoyikoyi School, a K-8 charter school serving low income students. Although a middle school, Akoyikoyi proactively sought for a way to engage students in pre-Robo League STEM training. Engaged staff searching out opportunities for students, despite ongoing uncertainty, can serve as a motivating factor for other schools on-island.

Moving Forward – Targeted Support to Support Robotics and STEM Instruction

To make the best use of its new robotics gear,  a high-capacity wireless network on the Akoyikoyi campus was also provided by Habele. Like many other schools across the FSM, several of Akoyikoyi STEM teachers were off-island when the quarantine began. The improved network makes remote learning and distance instruction a practical reality for those educators and their students.

Network installation to support STEM learning in Chuuk

Wireless networks are a key issue for the Robo League going forward. Schools across the FSM are moving to alternate schedules, that – as they are able – incorporate online learning and remote instruction. Remote robotics instruction will become a factor throughout the upcoming school year, and the majority of schools (particularly private schools) do not have the wireless capacity to engage remotely.

Winning students, Pohnpei Robo Day 2020

Habele laid a foundation for overcoming this challenge by equipping a partner school in Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei with high quality wireless networks. Going forward, each of these schools can function as a central location for staff and students from all participating clubs to gather for remote trainings. Though Kosrae remains unconnected to the undersea cable, Habele is investigating solutions to support remote learning for the Robo Clubs there.

These “connected campuses” allow all indoor and outdoor areas quick access to a robust Wireless Area Network, radically improving the small, wired computer labs, which were further limited in their utility due to social distancing concerns. Integrated servers allow robotics instructional and reference materials to be accessed by all staff and students. With many of the most credentialed STEM teachers unable to return to the FSM, these network projects not only support robotics, but science and math learning of all types.

Despite COVID-19, Robo Day 2020 Rolls Forward

Early May finds Micronesia, a nation of many small and scattered islands in the Western Pacific, one of the few countries with no confirmed cases of COVID-19.

An array of prevention measures, including quarantines and social distancing, have been implemented by national and state governments in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) to prevent introduction or spread of the virus.

One impact of social distancing was delay of “Robo Day,” the annual statewide high school robotics championships held at the end of the school year in Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae States.

Student teams at twenty-two schools had spent the year designing, building, and fine-tuning robots in preparation for these public competitions, which showcase students’ achievement in math and science. Established in 2012, Habele’s Robo League is the most remote high school robotics program in the world and made possible through a partnership with the US Department of the Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs.

While the specifics in each Micronesian state -and often each school- are different, holding four large public gatherings with scores of students and hundreds of onlookers won’t work for Robo Day 2020.

In partnership with school leaders and students, Habele has adjusted the planned Robo Day game course, creating a simpler, smaller, series of tasks that even a single student with a robot can complete for time.

Students can build a game board on any flat surface of about five square feet, such as a floor or a road. The modified game consists of three tasks, each of which are completed within that box. Another student, friend or family member can film the robot as it completes the tasks for time. The videos will be uploaded ahead of a deadline, allowing for students throughout the FSM to compete with their peers in their state and across Micronesia.

“Habele’s Robo League is about hands on learning and real-world problem solving,” explained Neil Mellen, the former Peace Corps Volunteer who established Habele in 2006. “This revision of Robo Day 2020 to allow for social distancing is a great example of problem solving –not to mention a glimpse of how transformative distance learning can be for Micronesian students.”

Details of the social distancing Robo Day game board and the three challenges are online at habele.org/RoboDay2020 as well as the facebook.com/HabeleFund. Students have until midnight local time on Thursday, May 21st to post their final videos, one task at a time. They may post as many videos on Facebook as they like until the deadline. Students must tag the videos with “#HabeleRobo” and note in their post their name, their school, their state, which task they are completing, and how long it took.

Prizes –which arrived on-island before the pandemic- will be awarded in each of the four states for the students with the fastest time for each of three individual tasks, as well for the school with the fastest combined time for the three tasks in each state.

While COVID prevention specifics in each Micronesian state vary and may evolve, the redesigned game offers students who have worked all year in preparation for Robo Day the chance to test and showcase their skills. Local conditions will dictate the specifics of how schools utilize the revised game, but the online, student-driven format offers even those under the strictest distancing guidelines the chance to safely be a part of Robo Day 2020.

“Robo Day” Big Win for Students in Micronesia

Robo Day 2019 is in the record books for students in Yap, Chuuk and Pohnpei States. After a year of training, planning, and strategizing, students from participating high schools in each of these states met to exhibit their skills in the spirit of friendly competition. For Chuuk and Pohnpei, Robo Day 2019 represented their first year of participation in the Habele Robo League. While Yap State has blazed a trail with robotics for over five years now, their Robo Day competition also saw new faces. Neighboring Islands Central High School (NICHS) from remote Woleai Atoll, and Yap International Christian School both fielded teams for the first time.

Despite the recent introduction to robotics for the majority of participants, the level of engagement, innovation, and excitement is extremely high. Students have thrown themselves into the training- and into the spirit of competition – with energy that is a pleasure to watch. From state to state, these competitions showed real diversity of robot design and strategy. Schools are making the league their own, and personalizing their experience. It’s wonderful to see. One of the most noticeable elements of all three Robo Day competitions is the clear partnership and support between the teams. Everyone participating wants to see their peers from other schools succeed. This was demonstrated in cheering for other teams during competition, lending tools and parts, and jumping in to lend a hand when another team needed technical support. The Yap Robo League deserves a word of commendation for the ownership shown by the students. Their Student Leadership Team was instrumental in planning out the details of Yap Robo Day, and actually running the event. These young people are clearly mastering more than robotics! Now that students in Chuuk and Pohnpei have a full year of Robo League under their belts, it will be exciting to see what they come up with in the next year. Based on their tremendous success in the pilot year of the program, great things are ahead.

These exceptional events would not take place without the tremendous amount of work and care invested by school administrators, teachers, coaches, departments of education  and community partners. It is the hours put in behind the scenes by these fine folks that helps really bring an opportunity like the Robo League to life for the young people. After seeing the smiling faces of the students operating their robots, holding up their medals, or taking a “Champions” trophy home to their school, it is not a mystery why our partners work so hard to support the Robo Leagues.

On to the Robo Day Results!

Yap State
1st Place – Outer Islands High School
2nd Place – Neighboring Islands  Central High School
3rd Place –  Yap Catholic High School

Chuuk State
1st Place – Xavier High School
2nd Place – Chuuk High School
3rd Place – Saramen Chuuk Academy

Pohnpei State
1st Place – Nanpei  Memorial High School
2nd Place  – Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School
3rd Place – Ponphei Island Central  School

We join with our partners in congratulating all the students who competed in Robo Day 2019. Each and every of them gave it their best work, and it was obvious to everyone in attendance.

As of now, Kosrae State remains the only state in the FSM not participating in the Habele Robo League. Our hope is to bring the same opportunities to students in Kosrae soon. Established by former Peace Corps volunteers, Habele is a US-based nonprofit, advancing educational access and accomplishment in Micronesian communities. The Habele Robo League is made possible by a grant from the Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs.