This is the first-ever Team Aruba participating in the FIRST Global Challenge! Our students are Trevor van der Biezen (17), Janelle Giromus (16), Guiyan de Nobrega (16), and Timothy Romain (18). Some of them had no prior experience in robotics or STEM and have been very eager to learn through this challenge, whereas others were already familiar with these topics and are excited to work together on building the robot. These kids met at a “Find your STEM” summer camp, organized by a local organization called The STEM Embassy, whose members Laura Croes and Jillian Oduber are also coaching Team Aruba through the FIRST Global Challenge.

Aruba is a small island in the Caribbean, situated right off the coast of South America, with a population of about 110,000. It’s an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Aruba is known for its white sand beaches and clear blue sea, making it a popular tourist destination. This has made the island heavily dependent on tourism, which accounts for around 90% of the GDP. But with its sunny and windy conditions, there is definitely an opportunity to tap into renewable energy.

Having learned about sustainable energy technologies in their classes, these students look forward to actually getting equipped with the tools they need to make these concepts a reality and do their part in mitigating global warming. Even though Aruba is a small part of the world, global warming is a big problem and it will take all of us to solve it, so Team Aruba is ready to make a difference. This year’s theme of Hydrogen Horizons offers the perfect opportunity for this.

Thank you to our supporters!