PORVORIM
Armed with grit and steely resolve, the differently abled students of Sanjay Centre for Special Education, Porvorim are ready to prove their mettle at the forthcoming national-level First Tech Challenge Robotics Competition in Pune.
“This is a national-level robotic competition to be held in Pune from February 28 to March 2. The theme of the competition is ‘Into the Deep’. We are training the students for the competition. We have designed and programmed the robot and taught the students how to operate it. In robotics it's not about any individual. It’s teamwork where all the team members coordinate with each other to operate the robot and fulfil the target. So, team work is also important here,” one of the mentors for the competition, Royce Fernandes said.
According to another mentor of this team, Swati Phadte, participating in an event like this will teach the students benefits of teamwork, critical thinking and develop problem solving skills. But it is easier said than done since the team includes students who are hearing and speech impaired and slow learners. Understanding the intricacies of robotics is a challenging task.
“Our students have put in lot of efforts. We even practice on Sundays. With them, one has to put in lot of efforts and have loads of patience. We have received lot of support from our school, the students and the parents,” Phadte said.
Team Captain Anushka Raj, a Class IX student, said, “We have learned many things while preparing for this competition. We have demonstrated our robot at various places till now, including the recently held Science Film Festival. We have developed confidence in speaking before an audience. I like robotics and want to pursue this field as a career.”
Rohit Bohra, a student of Class V, who is hearing and speech impaired, through sign language said, “I am participating for the first time in a robotics competition. I like robotics very much. I am very happy to learn new things.”
The school has received the equipment from Saraswat Vidyalaya High School, Mapusa. Funds for registration fees was given by ‘X Factor’ from Mumbai.
Headmaster of Sanjay Centre, Tatu Kudalkar said, “Our students are capable of doing the most difficult technical task under the guidance of expert IT professionals. In the past our students have showcased their talent under the CARES initiative of Director of Technical Education, Government of Goa. Our students are also getting trained in robotics and coding. At the end of this month our students will be participating at the national level competition at Pune. I am sure our team will perform well at this event.”
