DIGITAL YARDtm ROBOTICS
Engineering a new Jamaicatm
PROBLEM
Stimulating student's interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
A SOLUTION
Developing an islandwide Jamaican Secondary School Robotics program and facilitating a Jamaican team entry in
the US FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION (FRC) in 2013 and annually thereafter.
Digital Yard Robotics has an association with the US FIRST organization to design a robotics competition optimized
for Jamaica.
HUGE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON STUDENTS
FIRST works closely with research and academic organizations to provide tangible evidence of the impact of robotics
competitions on student's education and career choices.
Brandeis University Study -- FIRST Robotics Competition
Brandeis University’s Center for Youth and Communities conducted an independent, retrospective survey of FIRST
Robotics Competition participants and compared results to a group of non-FIRST students with similar backgrounds and
academic experiences, including math and science.
When compared with the control group, FIRST Robotics students are:
- More than 3 times as likely to major specifically in engineering.
- Roughly 10 times as likely to have had an apprenticeship, internship, or co-op job in their freshman year.
- Significantly more likely to expect to achieve a post graduate degree.
- More than twice as likely to expect to pursue a career in science and technology.
- Nearly 4 times as likely to expect to pursue a career specifically in engineering.
- More than twice as likely to volunteer in their communities.
Clearly such outcomes via Digital Yard Robotics, would have a massively positive impact on Jamaica's science education
and stimulating interest in our children's choice of STEM careers. Those outcomes are part of the Digital Yard vision.
