DOST to spearhead 5th Robotics Olympiad

The Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute in cooperation with FELTA Multi-Media Inc. will conduct the 5th Philippine Robotics Olympiad for 2006.

The robotics Olympiad is a scientific, educational event that primarily aims to challenge the intellectual and critical thinking skills of elementary and high school students in designing robots and robotic systems.

It supports the Philippine's aggressive campaign towards the promotion of science and technology interests among the youth, particularly in robotics as one of the new alternative media of effective learning and to integrate an interplay of activism and constructivism as effective media in teaching robotics towards the discovery of promising robotics-scientists.

This is also meant to strengthen harmonious relationships and camaraderie among participating schools, their students and educators nationwide and offers new perspective and great opportunities in relation to the rising demands of robotics in the local and international scenes.

Science and Technology-oriented high school teachers and students aged 13 to 15 years old from both public and private schools are invited to participate in the said educational event.

In connection to this, series of activities were undertaken in preparation for the said competition. Among these activities are the teachers training in robotics, information campaign in schools and meeting with the science teachers and supervisors.

The preliminary judging of the Olympiad is scheduled on September 22 and the final judging will be on October 6. The World Robotics Olympiad will be in Nanling City, China in November.

Prior to the competition, a dry run will be conducted on August 19 for Luzon at the Philippine Science High School-Diliman campus and on August 26 at the Ayala Center-Cebu for Visayas and Mindanao. This activity is to be participated in by elementary and high school students from public and private schools. - Jasmin R. Uy