Ten students from Collège Christ-Roi de Nyanza who won the national First Lego League competition, returned from Texas, USA, on Monday, April 22, where they debuted in the International First Lego League (FFL) competition.

The group was awarded for their innovative use of virtual reality technology in the construction industry with their project that assists architects and engineers in creating 3D building designs.

They competed against over 100 teams from around the globe. At the national level, the group won the national title for ‘Motivation Award’ in the ‘Best Innovation Project’ presentation of the FFL competition.

On March 16, at the Intare Conference Arena, President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame presided over the award ceremony for the winners of Rwanda’s First Lego League (FLL) challenge and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hackathon.

The 2024 FFL competition held in Houston, Texas, from April 17-20 and hosted by First, is a culminating international event for youth robotics competitions, celebrating science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. The FLL programme also challenges students to explore real-world problems, research solutions, and build and programme educational robots to accomplish specific missions.

The competition included three categories; First Lego League (FLL), First Tech Challenge, and First Robotics, with participants aged 9 to 16. The team from Rwanda made their global debut in the FLL, competing against over 150 teams worldwide.

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Speaking to The New Times, Ketia Nsabimana, a 15-year-old senior three student, said their architectural project aims to enhance the quality of buildings, making them resilient to hazards and more.

She said: In Rwanda’s context, we aimed to construct resilient houses capable of withstanding any hazard. Additionally, we aimed to design houses that would attract tourists since our project is all about thinking of any kind of house you want, and we use technology to bring your dream house come to life.”

According to her, this will empower the younger generation, making them feel comfortable about themselves and capable of achieving anything.

Moving forward to improve performance and bridge the gap, Nsabimana highlighted that future flag bearers should involve not only adults but also young children early on, spreading across more schools and allowing them to participate in various affairs.

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Armel Shema, a senior four student, expressed gratitude for President Kagame’s participation in their final national competition, saying it gave them motivation and reasons to move forward.

He said: "We received full support for the competition, including preparation and mentorship from our leaders, which provided motivation and assurance of support.

"We gained broader skills in technology, robotics, new software, networking, project development, implementation, and more,” he said, emphasising the significant learning experience.

He added: "This is an important competition which offers numerous opportunities in various aspects. It aligns with what we learn in school, making it easier to understand academic concepts. I encourage fellow youth to participate.”

Diane Uwasenga Sengati, Acting Head of the ICT in Education Department at Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), said despite challenges, the competition was fair. "However, the competitors were very advanced and it was evident that we still have more to do.”

She explained: "Initially, the competition began at the national level, involving five schools from each province, including the City of Kigali. From there, 25 schools competed, with the winning team selected to represent Rwanda globally. Participation in such an event is a significant achievement, especially considering the newness of the course in our education system.”

She added: "The competition has presented the need for increased efforts and addressing gaps. Organising national competitions shows a high level of proficiency locally, but it’s clear that we still need room for improvement and advancement beyond current expectations.”

Sengati further said that REB announced on March 15 that educational robotics courses have been included in the national curriculum.

"Currently, we are in the testing phase with 20 schools as samples. If successful, the programme will be implemented in all schools,” she noted.