Five students are set to represent the Virgin Islands at the 2026 FIRST Global Challenge in Incheon, Republic of Korea, in October. Photo: Internet Source

Team Virgin Islands at FIRST Global Challenge 2025 in Panama City, Panama. Photo: Facebook/File

This year, the team is made up of students all from Elmore Stoutt High School. They are Christopher Robinson (Team Leader), Stephon Jainauth (Engineer), Nicholas Joseph (Driver), Caleb Stoutt (Spirit Ambassador), and Ricardo Seebaran (Programmer). 

The Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports introduced the team in a video posted to its Facebook Page on September 8, 2026, describing them as a “brilliant crew” that is already setting the bar high. 

Igniting Innovation

This year, the FIRST Global Challenge will be held from October 7 to 10, 2026 under the theme ‘Igniting Innovation’. FIRST Global Challenge is an Olympics-style, international robotics competition that takes place in a different country each year. 

Incheon is described as a global hub of innovation, and organisers say it is the perfect location for students from around the world to tackle critical challenges through STEM.

The Virgin Islands will join teams from over 190 countries to tackle real-world environmental challenges through STEM and robotics.

At FIRST Global 2026, teams will harness creativity, engineering, and bold new ideas to spark breakthroughs in wildfire prevention, mitigation, and recovery. Through hands-on engineering and strategic gameplay, students will explore how technology can help reduce the risk and impact of fires, protect communities, and support environmental resilience in a warming world.