If you had been in the Rugova Valley recently, you would have seen more than just beautiful mountain scenery. On July 14th, representatives of USAID and the Ministry of Education witnessed robots engaged in Sumo wrestling and dancing. They also saw a robot in the shape of a crocodile. It was all part of Robotiks 2012, a summer camp involving 43 students, aged 12 to 15, from 21 schools across the country.

During the weeklong camp, organized by the USAID Basic Education Program (BEP), the students learned to design, assemble, and program LEGO robots. On the first day, the students visited the robotics lab at the University of Business and Technology in Pristina. On the last day, they presented their work to guests, who were thrilled by the students’ creativity. At the closing event, the students were presented with certificates and model solar power kits for their schools.

The summer camp was not all work. The campers began their day with morning gymnastics, and after lessons in the evenings, they went hiking, watched movies (with a robot theme), sang, danced, and played games supported by interns and staff from the Kosova Education Center.

RobotiKS 2012 attracted national media attention. RTV21 and KLAN Kosova visited the camp and ran the stories on the evening news. Fortuna Sahiti, an 8th grader from Hilmi Rakovica School in Pristina, was one student who shared her views with reporters. “This camp has developed my communication skills and taught me that teamwork is the key toward victory in our daily life,” Sahiti said.

The USAID Basic Education Program is implemented by FHI 360, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEST) and the Kosova Education Center (KEC). Additional information about program activities can be found at: www.bep-ks.org and at www.facebook.com/BEPKosovo.