In Namibia, A New Generation Learns How to Use Robotics for Social Good

By Namibia Flying Labs

Namibia faces an education quality gap between public and private schools. Most public schools cannot afford to offer robotics as a course. To bridge this gap, Namibia Flying Labs developed 'Dare to Fly,' introducing high school learners to robotics and programming and encouraging them to pursue a STEM career.

Dare to Fly is a long-term project aimed at sparking learners' interest in STEM education at a young age. The program supports their education and promotes early career development by exposing them to robotics, computer science, and engineering. Through learning about drones and robotics, learners' skills in computer science, mathematics, and physics are strengthened. The activities encourage learning and teamwork and are conducted under the FLN team's close supervision to ensure each participant gets the most out of the program.

The program was developed by Namibia Flying Labs and funded by the U.S. Embassy Namibia Public Diplomacy grant and Kanie (a local drone and robotics business). The first two schools to join the program were Academia Secondary School and Rosewood Academy for an initial pilot period of three months. This period was later adjusted to eight months to accommodate the learners' pace at grasping the new concepts. In the end, FLN reviewed the curriculum to have the content better suited for learners. Currently, it is being converted into an e-learning activity so that it can reach more learners.

We dream that the program will become a regular activity in more schools' and we thank the first cohort of learners, the teachers who dedicate their time to assist our team, and the funders for making this project possible.