Team Ecuador is composed of 7 members among students and mentors, although more people are helping in team preparation and support. This year the students are from Johann Strauss High School of the country capital, Quito. It is the second year Worldskills Ecuador has accepted the invitation from FIRST Global in preparing the team for the FGC competition.

This new challenge will help us to achieve our mission to introduce our young people to STEM education and robotics, while motivating them to face and be aware of environmental issues and find ways to solve them, which can be used to improve our lives and solve problems within our community.

Jonathan Santos
I’m fifteen years old and in 12th grade in high school. I think this competition will improve my knowledge, not only in science, but also as a human being. I’ll take my experience and share it with my classmates and teachers to show them in Ecuador we can improve our environment with technology to encourage environmental awareness around the world, and with this opportunity to participate in FIRST Global, I want to help people of my country with two of the most relevant themes for our youth to learn: respect and protect nature. Ecuador has recently implemented some environmental-friendly energy production for energy saving.

Pablo Álvarez
I’m in 12th grade, I’m 17 years old. Given the opportunity to participate in the FIRST Global Challenge, I’m honored to represent Ecuador and show my capabilities. In return, I aim to encourage more teens to get involved in this wonderful world of technology. The energy impact game makes us aware about the wrong we do in the quest for energy sources. Here in Ecuador we use primarily solar, wind, thermal and hydroelectric energy. A few years ago, our country started to be interested in robotics to introduce us to the new age of technology. I’m very proud of our effort and hope we do well in this Challenge.

Dulce María Bohórquez
I’m 15 years old and I am a student from Quito, Ecuador. I represent Johann Strauss high school. I focus in achieving my goals, including participating in extracurricular activities like the Club of Technology. I have had great experiences with math and science, which makes me want to continue getting more experience in this field. As the technology is being used everywhere, I believe that the study of this subject will increase the chances of getting into the innovation of new gadgets and instruments that we can used to make thousands of lives easier and better. In Ecuador, we believe in ourselves and I am sure we can learn to get the best of us from the good people who are coming to participate in this event and to become innovators, learn more about what we can do with technology and how to implement it in our country, Ecuador, and covering the needs of a clean environment will lead us to create and develop tools to preserve our communities to be as clean as is possible.

Marjory Pila
I’m 15 years old. I represent Johann Strauss high school. I am a free person, who likes to express myself throughout the combination of different ways to solve problems for daily activities; it makes me open my mind to a new and different world where, in my opinion, technology and math are important in our common lives and helps us to improve knowledge and be engaged constantly outside of the classroom. My motivation in participating with the FIRST Global Challenge is to get ready for both personal and professional life, knowing that this experience will give me a big challenge in which I can show the world what I can do.

María José Basantes
I’m from Quito, I’m 16 years old. Participating in this great event will be the richest experience in cultural and scientific learning to share with society. Since technology is one of my favorite fields, I am motivated and inspired by the challenge that this experience will bring into my life. It will improve my knowledge in different aspects such as preparing myself intellectually and mentally for the competitions of this new era. I will take all the experience I can get in this event to improve myself as professional and as a person, and make of this experience one of the best to develop technology in Ecuador.

Andrés Albán
I’m the tech tutor and a mechatronic engineer, and I’m proud to guide our team in this fantastic challenge. The young people are interactive, and we learn through technology, because it has now become a part of our lifestyle. I’m grateful for this opportunity as a team to be challenged, and for a significant growth in knowledge and skills of the students. I hope this will help me in my next step to transmit STEM education and search for making this world better with strategies and projects, with great impact in people’s lives.

Xavier Mendieta
I am the Team manager. As Technical Delegate of World Skill Ecuador, I am responsible for coordinating the activities of the Ecuadorian team in the 2019 FIRST Global Challenge (Ocean Opportunities), for its optimal participation in Dubai. From the experience, we believe firmly that FIRST Global competitions strongly promote skills of young students in technology, teamwork, environmental awareness, and use of clean energy, as well as allowing participants to interact with young people from around the world for their training as global citizens of the future with strong values to build a better world.