RoboMinds and the Global Stage of Innovation

RoboMinds is a movement that brings hands-on learning closer to children and young people in Guatemala. By fostering curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills, RoboMinds empowers us to explore the possibilities of science and technology. This mission connects with one of the most important global STEM initiatives: the NASA International Space Apps Challenge.

Each year, this global hackathon invites people from all backgrounds including students, professionals, engineers, artists, and enthusiasts to collaborate and create solutions using open data from NASA and its partners. In 2025, RoboMinds joined this worldwide community and demonstrated both ability and a strong commitment to inclusive education and storytelling.

The NASA Space Apps Challenge is widely recognized as the largest hackathon in the world. With more than 110,000 students participating in 2025, it has become a major platform for innovation and collaboration. Participants work on challenges designed by NASA experts across fields such as software development, astrophysics, Earth science, agriculture, and space exploration.

Teams must use open data to develop solutions that address real problems affecting humanity on Earth and Space. People of all ages and skill levels can contribute: coding, designing, analyzing data, or telling stories, every role is valuable.

The 2025 theme, “Learn, Launch, Lead”, encouraged participants to build skills, transform ideas into solutions, and inspire the community. For RoboMinds, this reflected the Club’s learning by doing philosophy. Students were able to explore new tools, think creatively, and collaborate in meaningful ways.

Guatemala’s presence in the Space Apps Challenge continues to grow. In 2025, 28 teams and 168 students participated, showing increasing interest in science and technology. Many projects stood out for their creativity and quality, and several teams advanced to the global final.

Among them, RoboMinds distinguished itself through its participation in the Storytelling category. This category focuses on transforming complex scientific information into engaging and accessible narratives. It brings together creativity and technology to make science easier to understand and more meaningful.

The RoboMinds team embraced this challenge by developing a project that combined education, inclusion, and creativity. Their work demonstrated that storytelling can be a powerful tool to communicate scientific ideas and inspire learning.

The project, “Explore with Robi,” includes two educational books focused on science topics for young learners. These books were designed with a clear purpose, to adapt education to children instead of expecting children to adapt to rigid systems.

Through this experience, RoboMinds not only contributed to a global initiative but also strengthened its mission of making science and technology accessible to all. Their participation reflects the growing potential of young innovators in Guatemala and highlights the importance of opportunities that connect local talent with global challenges.