Jorge Hernández Huerta, national organizer of the 13th edition of the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) in Mexico in 2024, emphasized the importance of democratizing robotics and promoting inclusion of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) education for children. At a press conference announcing the WRO, he stressed the significance of encouraging girls and young people to participate in these disciplines to bridge existing gender gaps in STEM fields.
The goal of the 13th edition of the WRO is to increase the participation of girls and adolescents, which had previously stood at only 30 percent. By fostering talent from a young age and providing appropriate spaces and tools, the aim is to empower children and offer them training opportunities to become qualified human capital for the future.
Hernández Huerta mentioned that early exposure to various activities is crucial for a young person to develop interests and pursue career paths. In Mexico, efforts have been made over the past 12 years to introduce children as young as five to robotics and STEAM education. The World Robot Olympiad, founded in 2004 in Asia, aligns with Mexico’s educational objectives in this area, bringing children closer to robotics and technology.
The WRO is a themed competition where teams of children and teenagers between 8 and 19 solve real-world problems using STEAM principles and robotics. The competition comprises four categories based on age groups, and the participants are guided by a coach. The goal is to design, build, and program a robot to complete challenges based on the theme of the competition.
Registration for the WRO is open via email at wromexico.org, with more than 32 teams already registered across 12 states in Mexico. There will be no participation fee this year, thanks to the support of Fundesteam. The WRO fosters education, innovation, and technology among youth, and its impact has strengthened across Latin America since 2022. Future competitions will take place between May and July, leading up to the international final in Turkey in November.