Move to mix robotics, renewable energy into schools

Minister of Energy and Business Development Senator Lisa Cummins has proposed the development of an educational programme combining robotics and renewable energy for schools across Barbados.

The initiative, which would require collaboration with the Ministry of Education, was announced during Senator Cummins’s tour of a camp at the St Michael School on Friday.

She emphasised the importance of such a programme in an increasingly technology-driven world.

“I would like to see that with the programmes and the investments we have already made in robot kits for the energy sector, that we can work with the Ministry of Education to roll it out as a part of the mainstream education curriculum,” she said.

The proposal follows the recent Energy Science Week, an inaugural summer camp for children aged six to 11, co-hosted by the Division of Energy and the Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Science and Technology (MIST). The camp, which saw more than 100 children participate, featured STEM activities led by teams from Robot Adventures and Relay Education.

During the camp, children engaged in hands-on projects, including building solar cars and wind farms. The energy minister highlighted the importance of early exposure to these technologies: “I really wanted to make sure that the young people could see, feel and touch what the energy future for them can look like.”

Senator Cummins also noted the career-oriented aspect of the programme.

“For the last couple of days, one of the things that they have also been able to see is career opportunities; the potential career paths that they can craft for themselves because they’ve now been exposed,” she added.

The proposed curriculum aims to build on the success of the camp, potentially bringing similar experiences to classrooms across the island. The minister is touting curriculum integration as a significant step towards preparing youth for future careers in renewable energy and technology.

“The idea [is] of them getting nerdy, very techy and hands-on on building their own solar cars, building their own solar kits and then being able to see how that operates in the field, building wind farms, understanding how wind is generated, seeing the size of the blades for wind turbine, for example, and then being able to see it on the ground on tour,” she said.