Detroit became home to the world’s largest STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) celebration for students when it hosted the 2019 FIRST Championship, presented by Qualcomm Incorporated. As part of this year’s STEM celebration, 27 World ORT robotics students, known as the RoboActive #2096 team, journeyed from Dimona, Israel to Detroit to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition.
Dimona is a small desert town located in southern Israel. Despite its distance from the thriving high-tech hub in central Israel, STEM has become a way of life in Dimona, where the World ORT Kadima Mada (Science Journey) STEM program has had a profound impact on local students of all ages, as well as the community at large. Dimona is now considered a Robotics capital, with FIRST Robotics Competition teams active in 100% of Dimona schools, including special education and kindergarten robotics programs. From Science Night initiatives to Hackathons, and from coding collaborations with Microsoft to the development of a Cyber and Technology College, Dimona is now leading the robotics revolution.
Members of the RoboActive #2096 team are current students at Zinman High School in Dimona. During school hours, they study high-level science courses. After school, they pursue their passion for robotics, engineering, and volunteering in community projects as part of World ORT Kadima Mada’s YOUniversity, an extra-curricular STEM enrichment program.
“I started Robotics in the sixth grade when I joined the RoboStar course,” said Ron Manto, a RoboActive #2096 team member. “Now, I am 17 years old, and I am proudly taking part in international robotics projects and volunteering throughout my city and Israel.”
Like Ron, many members of the RoboActive #2096 team became involved in World ORT Kadima Mada’s YOUniversity STEM program at an early age. Team members have spearheaded meaningful community projects, including engineering and raising funds for a playground designed for children who use wheelchairs. Inspired to become the next generation of scientists, entrepreneurs, and engineers who help people through technology, these students learned directly from their peers about the positive influence STEM plays in their lives and the potential it has to help build a bright future.
“ORT congratulates the RoboActive #2096 team, whose science journey from Dimona to Detroit has already positioned them as winners in life,” said Larry Kadis, ORT America president. “These amazing students are proof that with access to high-quality STEM education, the next generation is empowered to enter the job market with marketable skills, become leaders in their own right, and invest back into their communities. We could not be more proud.”
