Author: Mariela Rodriguez

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Alexis 5 years post-FIRST Global

Dear Donor,

Our Robotics team just returned to Honduras from Geneva, Switzerland This was our 6th year participating in the FIRSTGlobal international challenge. Meet Alexis – a member of our 2017 team, who is now a mentor, and even accompanied our students to Geneva.

Alexis is currently completing his undergraduate degree in computer science  engineering. He began volunteering full-time with our students in 2020. Alexis challenged himself to grow and learn so that he could help the team. He learned coding; he began planning and leading team meetings; and he even taught himself English with YouTube and books. Alexis recounts, “I very much had in mind that learning English was a necessity since the 2017 challenge… and to increase my probabilities of professional success I tasked myself to learn.” Alexis is now reading, talking and writing in English – he has even written a CREE blog on www.robot.hn all on his own.
We congratulate and celebrate young minds like Alexis – and like so many other bright folks we encounter in Intibucá. That’s why we ask that for Giving Tuesday (November 29th) you remember to support STEM education in Intibucá.

Alexis recounts how STEM education has impacted him, “[it] and my participation in 2017 was transcendental in my deciding what to study,” and also, “in all the positive ways and especially that it was during my early youth because from that point on I acquired so many experiences that will serve me in my professional life, soon to begin.”

We cannot wait for our alumni mentor to graduate in 2023 and we await all that he will contribute to the STEM field and to his community.
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Our Team is Back From Geneva

After two days of travelling back to Honduras and recovering from jetlag, our FIRST Global team is basking in the great competition that they underwent in Geneva. As many of our students have never even travelled outside of our department, the new environment, the stress, and the excitement put our students’ focus to the test – and even our mentors’. Even so, their motivation to excel ignited their minds. 

When our robot experienced some hiccups, the team quickly used their skills to modify “Richard” and continue fighting on the playing field. Our mentors Alan, Alexis, Henglyns, Nora and Minsis all were there remind our students that while winning is our objective, there is so much learning and growing that happens along the way.

Our team received, once more, the FIRST Global award in safety, given to teams that exemplify safety standards on the field and in their pits. And secured spot #6 in America and #2 in Central America! 

A donation to our program means you continue to believe in our students, STEM education, their potential and how far it can make them fly! 

We are grateful to all the support from our Shoulder to Shoulder team, from donors – both US and Honduran, and from local Honduran government.

Donate to Robotics
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Lend a Robotic Hand to Honduras

Dear Donor,

This week we’re celebrating the power of the crowd for GlobalGiving’s Little by Little campaign. From today until Friday, GlobalGiving will match online donations up to $50 at 50%.

Little acts of kindness will have an extra BIG impact — here we share a recent story of a robotics donation.

Our LEGO Robotics Regional competition is back. However, teams were short on pieces to build their dream machines and sourcing Legos in Honduras has not been easy.

Shoulder to Shoulder’s robotics mentor, Alan Ostrow, heard and reached out to his community in the US. And a group of young elementary students, lead by their mentor Sally, were determined to help. They assembled 12 kits containing all different sizes and colors from old LEGO sets.
A completed robot is a culmination of skills in STEM, in leadership, in teamwork and self-confidence. Piece by piece, little by little these students lent a robotic hand to help our students innovate toward their competition goals. 

With this we are one ‘LEGO’ piece closer to making the competition become a reality … because when we all come together with compassion, there’s no telling what we can do.

Please make a donation to help us reach our goal. 
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