Brightstar Lottery successfully concluded its free two-week regional Coding and Robotics Rock! Camp, delivered simultaneously across Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Maarten, in partnership with the Mona Geoinformatics Institute (MGI) at The University of the West Indies, Mona.
Among the participating students was 15-year-old Jesse Cooper, who learned that while artificial intelligence (AI) may seem worlds away from the fashion runway, it will play an important role in her future. The aspiring fashion designer joined Brightstar’s Level II programme at The Cotton Tree Foundation because she believes learning about AI, coding and robotics will help prepare her for success in the future.
“AI and technology are going to play a big part in the future, so I want to understand them now,” said Jesse. “This camp is helping me build skills that I’ll be able to use no matter what career I end up in.”
Under the theme Build the Future, Break the Mold: Engineering the Caribbean of Tomorrow, students in the advanced Level II programme built and trained AI models using Google Teachable Machine and designed, built and programmed robots using VEX Robotics platforms. Meanwhile, Level I students developed foundational digital skills by building websites and learning HTML and CSS.
“Students like Jesse remind us that AI is no longer relevant only to careers in technology,” said Dexter Thomas Brightstar Lottery Trinidad and Tobago General Manager. “AI learning and Digital skills are integrated across every industry. Through this annual camp, Brightstar is committed to helping young people in Trinidad and Tobago build the confidence, creativity and problem-solving skills they will need to thrive in the future world of work.”
The camp brought together local students from The Cotton Tree Foundation and Amica House Children’s Home in a virtual classroom with their peers across the Caribbean to gain hands-on experience with technologies transforming the global economy.
“The Cotton Tree Foundation is pleased to partner with Brightstar’s Coding and Robotics Camp for the fifth consecutive year,” said Allyson Hamel-Smith, The Cotton Tree Foundation Chairperson. “More than 60 of our students have now benefited from Levels I and II of this initiative. Education is the cornerstone of our mission, and we know that life chances and job opportunities are greatly improved for youth with strong digital literacy.”
At the conclusion of the camp, students received certificates and official transcripts recognising the skills they developed over the two-week programme. For Jesse and the other campers, those credentials take them a step closer to success in a future where creativity and technology go hand in hand.
