The competition where kids and teens ages 8 to 19 become tomorrow's engineers, putting math, logic, coding and engineering to work on real-world problems.
The World Robot Olympiad is a theme-based competition where teams of young people ages 8 to 19 put their skills to the test, solving real-world problems through STEAM and educational robotics. More than 90 countries take part.
The WRO Association, founded in 2004, is the non-profit organization that runs the competition worldwide. In Panama, FUNDESTEAM is the official national organizer.
Panama has finished among the world's top ten and hosted the World Final in 2023.
Participating students per season, rounded down. 2022–2026: FUNDESTEAM annual reports; 2015–2021: national press. 2020 and 2021 were pandemic seasons.
Rules and challenges of the 2027 season for all 8 categories.
Recruiting, training and certifying the judging team.
At least 40 hours of robotics, coding, artificial intelligence and STEAM projects.
Rules, strategy and methodology for coaches and teams.
One host venue a week, every Thursday, across the country.
The national final, where Team Panama is selected.
At the host city announced by the WRO Association.
According to PISA 2022, only 16% of Panama's 15-year-olds reached basic proficiency in math and 38% in science, compared with 69% and 76% across the OECD. Robotics turns math into a tool for solving concrete problems.
Measuring, estimating and calculating angles and distances so the robot completes its mission.
Sequences, sensors and control: computational thinking in action.
Building, testing, failing and improving the robot until it works.
New challenges every round that demand quick analysis and decisions.
Teams of 2 or 3 students, guided by a coach.
Original projects that respond to real problems in Panama.
Each team designs, builds and codes a robot that can complete a challenge based on the season's theme.
Elementary, Junior and Senior
An autonomous robot solves specific tasks on a game field. Each round, the objects change position.
Ages 11 to 19
Each team's two autonomous robots compete in a sport. A fast-paced, exciting challenge.
Ages 14 to 22
A self-driving vehicle completes laps around a track. Advanced robotics that follows today's trends.
Elementary, Junior and Senior
A project-based category where teams develop their own smart robotic solution.
Expand what young people know by exploring robots and robotic systems, through projects that help them solve problems.
Develop 21st-century skills, especially critical thinking, innovation, research, collaboration and communication.
Bring modern science into the classroom through the STEAM methodology.
Build friendships and make learning fun, using game-based learning.
Bring young people together to test their skills at robotics olympiads and promote STEAM across the region.
Inspire young people to see themselves as tomorrow's scientists, engineers, makers and inventors.
Your organization joins a season that reaches 500 public and private schools, 3,000 students and more than 300 teachers. Packages from B/. 3,500 to B/. 150,000, with a certificate for a donation deductible from Panamanian income tax.