By Italy Ton-Chung
Five young Guyanese have taken their robot, ideas and the name of Guyana to South Korea for the FIRST Global Challenge, where they will join high school-aged teams from more than 190 countries at Songdo Convensia in Incheon from October 7–10, 2026, for this year’s competition themed “Igniting Innovation.”
For the students of Team Guyana Robotics, the competition represents more than an opportunity to test a machine they have spent months designing and rebuilding. It is also a chance to learn from young people from around the world and demonstrate what Guyanese youth can achieve in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The team has spent months developing a robot for this year’s wildfire-themed challenge, which requires teams to collect balls representing wildfire elements, place them into designated containers and complete a climb at the end of the match. Designed as an all-rounder, the robot can collect, shoot and store balls, climb the competition structure and assist other robots during the match.
For 16-year-old David Da Silva, who serves as driver and lead engineer, getting the robot to perform as intended has been one of the biggest challenges.
“One of the hardest technical problems we’ve solved so far is lining it up to work properly with the code,” Da Silva said. A change to the programming could affect the robot, while a change to the robot could require adjustments to the code. The team also repeatedly tested and rebuilt components before settling on designs that met its expectations. Da Silva said one system was tested and rebuilt multiple times before the team was satisfied with its performance. The work has required patience, technical knowledge and, perhaps most importantly, teamwork.
For 18-year-old engineer Eashan Harjohn, one of the biggest lessons has not been about robotics at all. It has been about learning to work with other people.
“The biggest challenge in robotics is actually working as a team,” Harjohn said. With several team members bringing their own ideas to the table, disagreements are inevitable. Rather than simply voting on which idea should be used, the students said they test the different approaches and determine which performs best. “We would come as a group and we would test this, see which the best of them is, and we would use that,” Harjohn said.
The experience has also taught the students to listen to one another and reconsider their own ideas.
Da Silva said robotics has taught him that being convinced an idea will work does not necessarily mean it is the best solution.
“It allows me to consider others’ ideas or change my idea to work around theirs,” he said. That collaborative approach is particularly important at FIRST Global, where teams from different countries are brought together to compete in alliances. Rather than simply competing against one another, students are expected to work with teams they may have never met before. Harjohn said he is looking forward to learning how young people from other countries approach problems differently. “It will help me cooperate with other countries and their different minds of thinking,” he said.
For the students, the benefits of being part of Team Guyana Robotics extend beyond the competition field.
Tejasvarun Kandavel, the team’s 16-year-old lead software engineer, said his involvement with robotics has changed his outlook on technology and his own future. His first experience with STEM Guyana came through a summer programme involving small robotics kits. He later tried out for the FIRST Global team and was selected in 2024. Before becoming involved in robotics, Kandavel said he had been focused on becoming a pilot. His experiences with robotics introduced him to new areas of engineering and technology and changed the way he viewed his future.
“I think it definitely changed my perspective a lot,” he said. He also believes more young people should be exposed to robotics, coding and other areas of technology as they prepare for a rapidly changing world. “I think it’d be really helpful or useful in the future for them,” he said.
For Jana Deviera, the journey has been equally unexpected. She said she never considered herself someone who would become interested in robotics.
“I never actually thought of robotics as something that I would like to do,” Deviera said.
But joining the team introduced her to problem-solving and coding and showed her that robotics was something she could enjoy. The experience has now taken her from a STEM programme in Guyana to preparing to represent the country internationally. Deviera will be the only female student travelling with the team this year. She sees that position as both an achievement and an opportunity to encourage other girls to consider STEM. “I think it’s really great that I can be able to be an example to other girls, other young girls so they can see me and be empowered and they can know that they can also do this,” she said. She stressed, however, that she is not the only girl involved in Team Guyana Robotics. Other girls are part of the wider team at home, and she said their presence has helped create a supportive environment. For Deviera, representing Guyana in South Korea is about more than competing.”It is showing everyone that we are able to accomplish really great things and we’re able to do what a lot of people think that we can’t do,” she said.
“We’re breaking that barrier.”
The team is aware that it will be competing against countries with different levels of access to technology and resources.
Kandavel said Guyana does not have the same ability as some larger countries to replicate the competition environment or fully simulate the field. The team has therefore had to find other ways to prepare.Da Silva said one of the challenges facing the drivers is that they have been practising on half of a court because the team does not have access to a full competition field. That means some decisions, including shooting distances and match timing, will have to be adapted once the students arrive in South Korea. The team has tried to prepare for the unexpected by keeping backup components and alternative solutions available. “If something breaks or we have to remove it or replace it with something else, we already have the tools or the items needed to replace it,” Da Silva said.
For 18-year-old driver and lead engineer Triston Clarke, the answer to limited resources is to continue working with what is available. “I just try my best to think, design, see what I can do without giving up,” he said.
The students said they are looking forward not only to the competition, but also to meeting other young people from around the world. Clarke said he wants to learn about the cultures of other teams and understand the thinking behind their robots.
Kandavel said he is particularly interested in hearing the stories and experiences of other students. “Everybody comes with their own different story,” he said. He believes those stories could be as valuable as anything he learns about robotics.
For the mentors, the international experience is also an important part of the students’ development.
Mentor Jaden Deviera said he sees potential in the students that they may not yet recognise in themselves. “I see future engineers, I see future coders,” he said.
Mentor Jennifer Ally said one of the things that stood out when the students first came together was how quickly they developed a strong working relationship. “How well they clicked and the chemistry they developed was almost instant,” Ally said.
The students have also benefited from previous Team Guyana members, who have shared technical knowledge and advice from their experiences at earlier competitions. Their sights are now firmly set on the competition, with the team determined to make its mark.
Jana Deviera said she wants to bring home the winning title.
Kandavel hopes to make the playoffs, become part of the winning alliance and compete for awards. Clarke also wants to return home having won the competition and an award.
But the students recognise that the value of the experience will not be measured entirely by what appears on the scoreboard. Kandavel said that when he looks beyond the technical side of the competition, what he expects to remember most is the people he meets. “It’s not really even about the actual technical aspect or the robot, it’s about who I meet and it’s just about the experience overall,” he said.
The students also hope to return home with new knowledge that can be passed on to those coming behind them. Harjohn said he expects the experience of working with international teams to help him develop skills that he can eventually share with younger students.
For the mentors, that continuation is important.
They want the students to maintain what they describe as an “engineering mindset” even after the competition ends, continuing to develop their skills instead of treating the experience as a one-time event. The team’s journey comes at a time when technology and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly important to education and the workplace.
Kandavel believes Guyanese youth should be given more opportunities to engage with robotics, coding and engineering. He sees the development of those skills as something that could benefit the country in the future.
But for the students themselves, the message they want to leave with other young people is much simpler.
Da Silva urged young people not to be afraid of sharing their ideas. “Don’t be scared to innovate or think or say your ideas,” he said. “There’s no such thing as a stupid idea.”
Clarke offered similar advice. “Stay focused, do the things you love. Don’t give up, just try your best and that will go a long way,” he said.
As the students prepare to leave Guyana for South Korea, they know the competition will test their robot, their technical skills and their ability to work together under pressure.
But they will also be carrying something that cannot be built in a workshop. The expectations of their families. The support of their sponsors. The encouragement of the people following their journey at home. And the name of Guyana.
For these young engineers, the goal is not simply to prove that their robot works.It is to show that, with opportunity, persistence and the willingness to keep trying, young Guyanese can build, compete and belong on the global stage.
Source: NEW ROOMS SITE
