Young Guyanese are showing growing interest in robotics, with about 100 applications received this year for Team Guyana Robotics as the team prepares to represent the country at an international competition in Korea.
Team Guyana Robotics, established by STEMGuyana in 2017, gives young people opportunities to develop skills in robotics, technology, problem-solving and teamwork. Seven members have been selected to travel to Korea this year, while other applicants will remain part of the home team, contributing to preparation and competition efforts.
STEMGuyana Lead Mentor Jennifer Reshma Ally said the latest selection process attracted young people from across the country.
"What we do at STEMGuyana, we have classes fundamentally in robotics, and recently we have seen more students being excited to play with the bots. We start them at age eight up to age 16, and we see new students every day joining the programme," Ally said.

Jennifer Reshma Ally

Ally said the programme gives young people from different parts of Guyana an opportunity to become involved in robotics from an early age. The high number of applications has also allowed the programme to build a larger pool of participants who can gain experience through the home team, even if they do not travel to Korea.
With the competition approaching, the team is focused on building and refining its robot while developing strategies for the challenge. Students first take on smaller challenges testing the robot's speed, endurance and durability. Once the official competition challenge is released, the team studies the requirements, develops a strategy and rebuilds the robot accordingly, testing it repeatedly to identify problems and make adjustments before the final design is ready.

Triston Clarke

Team member Eashan Harjohn said the programme teaches students through both success and failure. "This team is amazing. You learn so many things as you build and progress. When you make mistakes, you also learn from them in robotics. It's the next step to sports because if AI and robotics are going to become big, I know that in the future..." Harjohn said.
Fellow team member Jana De Viera described the chance to compete internationally as an important experience for young people. "It is a great opportunity, and I think it's cool that we are able to build a robot and carry it to an entirely different country and be a part of so many other countries representing Guyana, our own country. It's a really great opportunity for young people to be able to come and use their brain power and innovate," De Viera said.
Tejasvarun Kandavel, also a team member, said robotics and STEM could help prepare young Guyanese for the country's developing economy. "I really think STEM is really important right now, especially with the exponential growth from the oil and gas industry. So I think competitions like this would push our Guyanese youth to innovate and build technology for Guyana," Kandavel said.
Teammate Triston Clarke said his involvement with STEMGuyana has helped him develop skills beyond robotics. "STEMGuyana has given us multiple opportunities. It helps you with your motor skills as well as your teamwork aspect, so I'm very excited to become more in tune with those aspects," Clarke said.
The team is in the final stages of preparation ahead of the competition and is scheduled to leave Guyana for Korea on October 3, 2026.

Jana De Viera