Youth Robotics Summer Program in Holguin, Cuba

This summer, in Holguin, Cuba, Alden Harting—a high school student himself!—is running more than an extracurricular program for local youth. He’s introducing 15 talented students to an entirely new discipline. Due to Cuba’s economy and political situation, opportunities for gifted young people are limited and computer science and robotics classes are virtually nonexistent. Alden is planning to change that, with the help of Lego robotics kits and two friends and colleagues who have experience running humanitarian programs on the island. For two weeks, Alden will teach mechanical and electrical concepts and the fundamentals of sensors, actuators, and programming. By the end of the program, he hopes his students will be able to make their own creations with their newfound engineering knowledge.

Alden has already secured donations for 10 Macbooks and Lego EV3 kits, but our grant will both help him purchase additional Lego kits and cover the cost of breakfast for his students so that they can get to work without hunger pangs. We can’t wait to see what they create!