RoboSTEMpathy Program Desciption
Are you ready to build a robot that changes lives?
IEEE Region 8 invites all Sections to participate in RoboSTEMpathy. This new program empowers school-aged and university students to utilize robotics and STEM to address real-world humanitarian challenges, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
RoboSTEMpathy goes beyond a robotics challenge. It’s a movement to blend technical skills with empathy to create lasting social impact.
Phase 1: Local RoboSTEMpathy Events
Run until the end of October 2025
Organized by IEEE Sections (with the leading support of Sections’ Education Officers)
All IEEE Region 8 Sections are encouraged to create mixed teams of school-aged and university students to participate in this new program. The recommended team size is 4–6 members.
What Teams Will Do?
Organize STEM events in their local communities for school-aged students, and develop a concept for a robotic solution addressing a local humanitarian challenge. Their project should be aligned with one or more UN SDGs. All events should be submitted to VTools under the Pre-U STEM Program category.
Deliverables
Each participating team will submit:
- Concept of the robotic solution
- Report of STEM preparation activities
- Project description highlighting:
- The technical solution
- The human impact
- The educational outcomes for the school-aged students
Awards & Recognition
$300 Prizes in Three Categories:
- Best Section (based on vTools event reporting count)
- Best Education Officer (based on the number of active teams)
- Best Team (based on project quality and innovation)
The winning teams from each section will use their prize to develop their idea prototype and participate in an in-person event to present it. More details about the event and venue will be shared at a later stage of this call.
Important Dates
Section officers are encouraged to report every team using THIS FORM, until July 20, 2025
All submissions must be reported to PEAC by 2 November 2025
Awards will be announced and delivered no later than 1 December 2025