- DOST Aurora allocates ₱4.08M under the CEST Program to provide robotics kits to 11 schools, enhancing hands-on STEM learning.
- Kits include motors, sensors, programmable controllers, and materials for building robots, complemented by teacher training in SPIKE Prime, MBOT, Arduino, IoT, and 3D printing.
- Students will participate in a Robotics Cup to showcase skills, preparing for national competitions, as part of DOST’s broader goal to empower communities through inclusive education and innovation.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) under its Community Empowerment through Science and Technology (CEST) Program has set aside ₱4.08 million to upgrade digital learning in the Province of Aurora. It entails the provision of robotics kits to 11 schools to expose students to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) hands-on.
Every robotics kit consists of materials like motors, sensors, programmable controllers, and construction materials that allow the students to build functioning robots. DOST Aurora Science Research Specialist Regine Maines-Agumboy underscored the fact that robotics learning instills critical skills such as logical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration. She pointed out that these kits were made to challenge the next generation of thinkers by providing experiential learning avenues.
To integrate effectively into the class, the Department of Education and the A+ Solutions Development Center had a teachers' training program. The training integrated several technologies, such as SPIKE Prime, MBOT, Arduino, Internet of Things (IoT), and 3D printing, into teaching methods.
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The students involved in this project are supposed to be trained and subsequently participate in a scheduled Robotics Cup. The competition will gather all the beneficiary schools and be used to prepare them for national competitions, offering students an opportunity to demonstrate their expertise and inventions.
This robotics program is under the overall CEST Program, which not only seeks to strengthen education but also contributes to health and nutrition, livelihood, environmental conservation, and disaster risk reduction in communities. Through this initiative, DOST hopes to empower communities by establishing a more solid foundation for inclusive learning and sustainable development so that innovation is reached as far as possible even in the most underserved.
