Zwelethemba High School is sending its robotics team to the US Open Robotics Championships, where they will compete against the world’s top robotics teams.
Founded in 2021, the team, called the Einsteins, surpassed everyone’s expectations, including its members (Grade 9 and 11 learners) and management, when chosen to compete in the three-day tournament, which take places in Worcester, Massachusetts on 9 to 11 June.
Kuda Takawira, manager and founder of the Einsteins, explained he wanted to add an extracurricular activity at the school, which would challenge learners’ practical skills.
The management team includes six people (teachers as well as external volunteers with backgrounds in robotics) who assist the learners with robot design as well as funding procurement.
“We wanted something more practical,” said Takawira, who explained that the school’s robotics programme will encourage the school’s learners to engage more with maths and science.
According to Takawira, another reason he decided to launch the programme and robotics team is to provide Zwelethemba’s learners with an after-school activity that keeps them occupied and away from dangers such as alcoholism and substance abuse.
In 2022 the Einsteins took part in the provincial robotic competition in Cape Town, where they came first, as well as the nationals in Johannesburg, in which they came fifth while competing against the country’s top schools, such as the Curro group.
Takawira said there was a lot of excitement among the learners, as it was their first trip to Cape Town or, for many, their first flight to Johannesburg, which expanded their physical horizons, exposed them to new experiences and prepared them for subsequent experiences.
He was employed as Zwelethemba High School’s maths teacher at the start of 2020, before founding the robotics club, which has grown to 16 members, 10 of whom will travel to the USA.
He has also taught coding and robotics as a general education and training (GET) subject for Grade 8 and 9 pupils since 2022.
Each season has a different theme, which serves as a prerequisite for the type of robot that has to be built.
The current season is themed “The superpowered season”, which has enabled the Einsteins to build a lego robot that can complete various obstacles such as moving through, and over obstacles, as well picking up objects.
With only a year of experience in robotics, the Einsteins’ robot was one of five robots at the recent national championships, which could complete this task the fastest and most fluent.
Takawira explained that the school’s robotics team has enjoyed a lot of success with little funding, but is confident this hurdle will not stop them from travelling to Massachusetts, for which they will rely
So far, three sponsors have made it possible for the Einsteins to practise with lego robot pieces as well as travel to Cape Town and Johannesburg for the tournaments.
Anyone that is interested to fund certain expenses for the US Open Robotics Championships, can contact Takawira on 074 913 5590.
