Team Virgin Islands at the 2025 First Global Robotics Challenge in Panama City, Panama. Photo: Facebook

Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Hon Sharie B. de Castro (AL) said the Virgin Islands Robotics Team’s performance at the 2025 First Global Robotics Challenge is a full-circle achievement of integrating robotics into the school curriculum. Photo: Facebook

Team Virgin Islands took part in the 2025 First Global Robotics Challenge from October 29 to November 1, 2025, in Panama City, Panama. Photo: Facebook

The Virgin Islands was represented by Eleazar Brooks, Keyara Smith, Jayron Gibson, Judiah Case, and Denae Scatliffe-Chalwell during the competition held in Panama City, Panama, from October 29 to November 1, 2025. 

The competition was held under the theme ‘Eco Equilibrium’ and focused on biodiversity and STEM solutions. Students from over 190 countries participated in the event. 

According to First Global, this year’s challenge tasked participants with navigating their robots through a rich, simulated world to carefully restore habitats, maintain ecological balance, and protect vulnerable species, emphasising the delicate systems that support our planet and the critical role innovation plays in their survival. 

Teams also took part in the Eco Equilibrium- New Technology Experience (NTE), developing projects that use emerging technologies to protect biodiversity and promote sustainable solutions within their own communities.

VI jumped from 143rd to 42nd 

The VI was ranked 143 before the commencement of the First Global Robotics Challenge. During the competition, the team moved to 111th, 13th, 30th, and ended at 42nd on the final day. 

Minister for Education, Sports and Youth Affairs Hon Sharie B. de Castro (AL) attributed the VI’s advancement in the rankings to the integration of robotics in the curriculum. 

This, she said, “inherently allows the students to code, to build robots, to program them, to fail forward, to make mistakes, challenge them, strategise, come again, do it bigger and better every single time”.

Hon de Castro said she is proud of the team and feels “absolute joy” at their representation on the world stage. 

“We know that we excel in sports, and recently we have been doing our thing in both chess and robotics.”

Hon de Castro also revealed that the Virgin Islands stand out in rankings in the Caribbean. 

According to the rankings, Aruba, the Cayman Islands and Bermuda rank above the VI in the region, while the VI ranks 1st among the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).