FIRST Robotics teams in Morocco are celebrating their accomplishments in the recent qualifying and national FIRST Lego League tournaments. This is especially heartening for Global Ties KC because 14 of the teams that participated in the qualifying tournaments were alumni of our very own Global Robotics Exchange (GRE), and seven of those teams qualified for the national tournament. One of them has qualified for the World Championships!
On January 20-21, Courtney Brooks, President and CEO, and Matt Roy, STEM Program Manager, along with our local partners from Robots & More had the privilege of witnessing the extraordinary talent of the GRE alumni and all the brilliant Moroccan teams at the First Lego League qualifying tournaments in Casablanca, Morocco.
Courtney Brooks and Matt Roy with Laila and Imane Berchane, our Moroccan partners from Robots & More
This trip was also an opportunity for Courtney Brooks and Matt Roy to delve deeper into the FIRST world, and to develop ways to make the next GRE cohort even better. The experiences, relationships, and amount of brainstorming and planning accomplished through this trip blew away expectations. Seeing students face-to-face and feeling their excitement about the program was immensely rewarding and reaffirms exactly why this program matters, and the opportunity Global Ties KC has to create a lasting, life-changing impact on student participants.
The Global Robotics Exchange is a virtual exchange administered by Global Ties KC. The participants of the program are current FIRST robotics team members from the KC area, Morocco, or Libya. The students learn about technical subjects, explore their professional skills, and learn about the cultures of other countries. The program has already impacted 164 alumni from America, Morocco, and Libya. The next cohort is set to begin on April 6, 2024! If you are competing in FIRST Robotics competitions, as either a competitor or a coach, and you live in the Greater KC area, feel free to email mroy@globaltieskc.org for more information!
The Global Robotics Exchange is implemented by Global Ties KC and is supported by the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative (JCSVEI). JCSVEI is a U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs program administered by the Aspen Institute.
