Economic Dev’t announces 4th edition of Robot Makers program
The Robot Makers program is back for its fourth edition, featuring a new virtual format to train 116 middle and high school teachers as well as college professors, Department of Economic Development and Commerce Secretary Manuel Laboy announced.
“Like all projects being developed in the midst of the emergency due to the spread of COVID-19, Robot Makers was adapted to conduct teacher training through an online platform,” Laboy said. “By August we hope to start the second phase of education and project development, with students from the Education Department of and colleges.”
At the moment, there are 116 registered schools “focused on increasing the quality of education based on innovation and entrepreneurship at an early age,” he said.
The training for teachers consists of a methodology based on business creation through the Canvas, training in technology, entrepreneurship and basic operation of the laser cutting tool, known as the “Laser Cutter,” he said.
In addition, the educators will receive the equipment to design the prototypes that will be the final project that they will present in the competition later this year.
Roberto Carlos Pagán, director of the DDEC’s Youth Development Program — in charge of the initiative developed by Yess Puerto Rico and that entailed a $118,000 investment — said “in the second phase of the project, students will work in various workshops on robotics and entrepreneurship.”
“We trust that in August, young people will return to their respective schools to launch the workshops and projects based on robotics,” Pagán said. “If this isn’t possible, we have an alternative plan to develop the second phase remotely.”
“The important thing is that they can receive the project’s technology and entrepreneurship concepts and that they can have the experience of working with robotics,” he said.
