USAID Primary Education Project

The pen and the paper will never be replaced by robots

Denis Junkar and his colleague working together on a robot problem

Viki Peeva and a colleague demonstrate team collaboration in practice

Roboteka - Where the future is now

This summer, USAID PEP supported the first robotics summer school in Macedonia,
a school designed to motivate learning and inspire creativity, a school in which students can build robots and learn leadership skills. That’s Roboteka.

Three Roboteka camps, each of two weeks, were organized, in Bitola, by ATTE (the Association for Technical and Technological Education) in order to provide experience for children from 10 to 16 in the area of robotics and computer science. It also gave the children an opportunity for friendship and exchanging ideas in order to stimulate creativity and critical thinking.

When we visited the students in Roboteka they were creating robots from Lego parts and programming them.

Denis Junkar, a student from ‘Yahja Kemal’ School and ‘Roboteka’ participant, won the second place in the national competition for programming. “This is so exciting!’ he said. “Computers and programming are my life. But to build the robots and to program them…is even beyond my highest expectations.” Denis built a robot that could bypass physical obstacles and turn left, right, back and forth. It consisted of two main wheels attached to the motor and was named ‘Asimus’ after the famous Japanese robot.

Viki Peeva, one of the girls who attended the camps said, “I’m so grateful that I’m a part of this summer camp, because it broadens my views in robotics. I’ve been dreaming to work with robots all my life, although my friends told me that it is not a job for a girl. I can’t wait to tell them everything! They will be jealous when they hear how it can be both interesting and useful at the same time.”

‘Roboteka’ was organized in a way that is children-friendly. The programme was based on teamwork, games and other activities that helped the children put their knowledge into practice. The results for students are an enhanced interest in the area of robotics and computer science as well as experience of quality teamwork based on intelligence and vision.

The long-term goal of the Roboteka programme is to broaden opportunities in the scientific field for the youth of the Balkans. Around 100 students from different cities, nationalities and ages, spent two marvellous weeks full of good teamwork and toleration. If you want to learn more about Roboteka, please visit www.roboteka.mk.

PEP team wishes many more successes to ROBOTEKA in their future plans.

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