We want to make everyone interested in (robotic) technology
TECHNIK BEGEISTERT e.V. is an organization made up of young adults who want to get more children and young people interested in robotics. The organization has hosted the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) in Germany since 2012.
The WRO began in 2012 with two tournaments in the regular category , for junior and senior age groups. A total of 32 teams took part. In 2013, after winning its first Google RISE Awards grant, the organization was able to grow the event to eight regional tournaments followed by a German final. This time 111 teams (more than 300 young people) from across Germany participated.
After securing its second RISE Awards grant in 2014, the organization partnered with the Dortmunder Talent initiative to set up a local robotics project in Dortmund, with the aim of getting children and young people from all backgrounds interested in computer science and robotics. As a result, more than 20 teams from Dortmund competed in WRO in 2015, with one of them even qualifying for the World Final in Qatar.
“The RISE Awards were key drivers of our growth in recent years. In addition to the financial support, we also benefited from the international network and the ideas on how to use Google technology within our organization,” says founding member Markus Fleige. In 2015, nearly 1,000 children and young people from 380 teams competed in 19 regional events. TECHNIK BEGEISTERT e.V. also offers workshops and training, for example, to motivate teachers to initiate robotics projects at their schools. It’s expecting to host almost 30 regional events as a part of WRO 2016.
The RISE Awards were key drivers of our growth in recent years. In addition to the financial support, we also benefited from the international network and the ideas on how to deploy Google technology within our organization.