Blue Flames all-girls robotics team set to compete globally

The members of Immaculate Conception High School’s all-girls robotics team, the Blue Flames, have a passion for robotics that has taken them places. With a 13-year history of competing and achieving success, this year’s FTC competition has been a game-changer for them.

Blue Flames achieved an exceptional score in the NCB Foundation/FIRST Tech Challenge Jamaica Robotics 2023 Championship, making them the first all-girls robotics team from Jamaica to compete on the FTC global stage. They will travel to Houston, Texas, in April 2023 to compete in the next level of the competition.

Overjoyed, Doreen Richards, coach of the Blue Flames shared, “We feel like we’ve made history! I’m so proud of the girls, and how hard they’ve worked to achieve success.” Richards, who has been with the Blue Flames since inception, also noted that she firmly believes that robotics competitions and training are vital to getting Jamaican youths interested in STEM learning, a field she considers to be ripe with opportunity.

Reflecting on the journey of the club’s past presidents, Richards noted, “They all joined out of passion and curiosity, and thanks to their experiences with robotics, they have all gone on to explore careers in programming, computer studies, and applied technology without fear.”

Each member of the Blue Flames specialises in a different area, and devotes significant amounts of time to developing their skills, all while balancing their schoolwork. Club president, Courtney-Kay White, said she is passionate about programming, while Chelsea Rerrie specialises in computer-aided design; Stephanie Williams focuses on engineering; and Madison Sujanani is keen on digital media.

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

“Building and programming our robot took long days, sleepless nights and even then, we had our drivers practice endlessly in order for them to become proficient at it,” White said.

With extensive outreach activities and succession planning pencilled into their gruelling schedule, Blue Flames team members make time to ignite the interest in robotics on their successors, as well as other schools.

“We are also proud of our girls for supporting the growth of other teams including those from Campion, Ardenne and the American International School of Kingston,” said Doreen Richards“, We were able to guide the schools in the development of their robots from the initial stages to competition-worthy entries. We also facilitated practice on our field for teams that did not have access to a campus with the same level of amenities.”

Blue Flames were awarded second place overall and the Connect Award for their diligence in seeking guidance from experts at this year’s two-day event held at Jamaica College’s Karl Hendrickson Auditorium. The Blue Bots from the Jamaica College topped the competition and were presented with the Inspire Award.

Now in its fourth year as title sponsor of the event, NCB Foundation has invested $8m into the annual programme.

“We want to see for Jamaica by supporting the expansion of our pool of digital producers who are also nation-builders,” said Nadeen Matthews Blair, CEO of NCB Foundation. “We are delighted that an all-girls team will be representing Jamaica at the global leg of the FTC competition for the first time, and we are confident that they will perform formidably.”

Edward Alexander, chairman, advisory board, First Tech Challenge (FTC) Jamaica, praised the NCB Foundation for its commitment to the programme.

“We’re grateful for their partnership, which will help to ensure that the future of STEM education and digital careers in Jamaica is bright,” Alexander said.

For the first time, this year’s programme included First LEGO League, a complementary primary school programme focused on solving real-world problems using STEM concepts and teamwork.