Team Guyana has surged into the top 25 at the 2026 FIRST Global Challenge, ranking 22nd with 399 points after its opening two matches. Guyana is one of only two CARICOM countries in the top 25, alongside St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as young robotics teams from more than 190 countries compete in South Korea.
The Guyanese team is among the international competitors taking part in the October 7–10 competition at Songdo Convensia in Incheon, where students are being challenged to design and operate robots around this year’s theme, “Igniting Innovation,” focused on wildfire prevention, mitigation and recovery.
According to the latest official FIRST Global results, Guyana has recorded a ranking score of 399, with two matches completed and additional matches still to be played. The standings remain fluid as the competition progresses.
The early showing gives Team Guyana a strong position in the opening stage of a competition that brings together some of the world’s brightest young robotics enthusiasts.
The team’s participation is also the result of a sustained effort by STEMGuyana to expose Guyanese children to robotics, coding, artificial intelligence and other areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
STEMGuyana, founded by Executive Director Dr. Karen Abrams, has created opportunities for young people across Guyana to develop practical STEM skills and gain international exposure through programmes, competitions, mentorship and robotics training.
Abrams has emphasised that the organisation’s objective goes beyond preparing students for individual competitions.
“Our role is to ensure these young engineers are prepared for the 21st-century Guyanese economy. We give our students access to equipment, opportunity, and community which also includes access to mentors, locally and globally, who help shape their future career choices.”
STEMGuyana says it has reached more than 20,000 students across Guyana, providing access to programmes designed to build technical skills and encourage young people to pursue careers in STEM.
The opportunity to compete internationally has also depended on support from corporate sponsors.
ENet is among the companies supporting Team Guyana’s participation in this year’s competition. Business Development Coordinator Tandi Rampersaud said the company viewed its support as an investment in young Guyanese.
“We have so much talent right here in Guyana, and at ENet, we’re happy to back that talent and help ensure our young people have the opportunity to compete globally.”
The journey to the global stage has also been powered by a network of sponsors, large and small, that have invested in the potential of Guyana’s young innovators. MODEC, through its support for STEMGuyana and Team Guyana Robotics, has helped strengthen the country’s participation in FIRST Global while also supporting the expansion of STEMGuyana’s Learning Pods programme in Regions Two and Eight. Other corporate and individual sponsors have likewise stepped forward, helping to provide these students with the equipment, training, travel and exposure needed to compete on the world stage.
The students have spent months designing, building and testing their robot for the Korean competition, gaining experience in engineering, programming, teamwork and problem-solving in the process.
For the young participants, the international exposure is as important as the competition itself. They are working alongside students from countries across the world, exchanging ideas and experiencing an international environment that would otherwise be difficult to access.
Team member Jana Deviera, the only female student on this year’s team, said the experience could also encourage more girls to pursue STEM.
“I think it’s really great that I can be able to be an example to other girls, other young girls so they can see me and be empowered and they can know that they can also do this.”
Guyana has participated in FIRST Global since 2017 and has previously achieved international recognition, including an Albert Einstein Gold Medal for Excellence.
With the 2026 competition continuing through October 10, Team Guyana will now look to build on its early top-10 position as more matches are completed.
For STEMGuyana, Abrams and the sponsors backing the programme, the competition represents more than a robotics event. It is an investment in giving young Guyanese access to technology, mentorship and international opportunities while demonstrating their capabilities on a global stage.
