GEORGE Headley Primary School emerged as the standout performer at the recently held inaugural Code Jamaica Expo featuring the Future Innovators category of the World Robot Olympiad Jamaica (WRO Jamaica).

The expo was a project-based robotics competition and exhibition staged in New Kingston recently.

The competition was a part of Code Jamaica suite of programmes organised by Halls of Learning and supported by Seprod Foundation, Musson Foundation, and the American Friends of Jamaica.

The St Andrew-based primary school’s Tech-Titans A team secured the top prize, while its B team took third place. Reach Academy’s Thunderbolts placed second.

The WRO Jamaica Future Innovators featured innovative projects from nine teams, challenging them to develop and showcase robotic solutions for real-world problems centred on this year’s theme of Earth Allies: Sustainable Future and Force of Nature.

Each team researched and constructed functional robots tailored to address specific societal challenges.

George Headley’s winning team impressed the judges with its innovative project — a fire-sensing and extinguishing robot. The students described their creation as a “mini version of a fire truck, but more tech-like”, as they highlighted its enhanced efficiency compared to traditional fire trucks.

Dayne Grant, robotics coach at George Headley Primary School, shared his excitement over the teams’ achievement.

“Entering this competition for the first time, the sleepless nights and hard work have paid off. We are grateful for the exposure and opportunity this experience has provided our students. Learning new programming and coding skills was challenging, but witnessing their growth and success has been immensely rewarding,” said Grant.

In the meantime, Lisa D’Oyen, executive director of the Seprod Foundation, was satisfied by the event.

“We are delighted by the talent and innovation showcased by all the students who participated in the expo. The diverse projects highlight the creativity and dedication of our young innovators. Partnering with Halls of Learning allows us to continue to nurture STEAM education in Jamaica, empowering students to shape our future,” said D’Oyen.

The first-place team from the competition will join the winning teams from the WRO Jamaica Robo Missions category to represent Jamaica at the WRO finals in Turkey in November, while the second-placed and third-placed teams will compete at the European finals in Italy in September, and the Americas Championship in Puerto Rico, respectively.