Nicaragua
City: Nagarote
Nicaragua in June 2017, working closely with NicaPhoto, which serves families living in one of the poorest barrios in the country.
We were welcomed by students and teachers through music, dance, and taekwondo demonstrations.
We continue to work closely with NicaPhoto with the implementation and extension of their robotics program and participation in the Nicaraguan World Robot Olympiad, a global robotics competition.
Students and teachers from NicaPhoto joined us during the summer of 2021 for a Mindstorms EV3 STEM-robotics course held in Granada.
In 2022, Nicaphoto-The Community Bots launched a STEM-robotics program that provides girls with year-round services that include robotics, coding, academic tutoring, English language instruction, girls empowerment, nutritious lunches, and eventually university scholarships in STEM fields.
During the Summer of 2024, we returned to NicaPhoto to run an advanced robotics course using LEGO SPIKE Prime for the STEM-robotics coordinators at our Nicaraguan partner programs along with some of the most gifted students coders at NicaPhoto.
Testimonials
Ronnie Maher, Executive Director, NicaPhoto, Nicaragua
“The Community Bots is an incredible program that brings STEM Robotics training to girls in disadvantaged communities. When Jack and Ana presented the idea of coming to Nicaragua to teach our middle school age girls robotics at NicaPhoto and to train our teachers, we were thrilled with the idea. We selected a group of 25 girls to participate. The girls ranged from very good students in the public school to students that have a variety of difficulties ranging from emotional to academic. The program engaged ALL of the girls and kept their interest and attention. I was impressed to see even the students with the most difficulty in school doing the math calculations on the fly, participating in the discussions, and excelling in the class. During the week, the girls had a day off from school and were scheduled for robotics class from 8am – 12pm. The girls decided as a group to ask Jack and Ana if they could have robotics class ALL day because they didn’t have school. The critical thinking and love of learning was wonderful to watch develop during the week. The project-based curriculum is formidable. Jack and Ana are both remarkable teachers and incredibly kind and generous. It was an inspirational week for all involved, and we are grateful to know Jack and Ana and for the opportunity to participate in The Community Bots program.”
Testimonials
Azucena Contreras, STEM-Robotics Program Coordinator, and Judith Álvarez, English and Robotics Teacher
“We want to express our sincere gratitude to The Community Bots for traveling to NicaPhoto. The advanced STEM-robotics training you provided has not only enriched us but has also equipped us with the skills necessary to bring our program to the next level. With the latest robotics equipment on hand thanks to your generous donations along with the advanced programming skills we have learned, we are now even more confident in our success at the upcoming national competitions.”
