From the Robocon Club, the love of technology spreads.

Without a dedicated lab, most of the robots were assembled and tested at home, but with a passion for technology and the dedicated support of teacher Nguyen Ho Thuy Khanh, the "PVT-Ben Tre" team from Phan Van Tri High School excellently won third prize at the National Robocon Competition in the 2025-2026 school year, contributing to spreading the spirit of STEM and innovation in schools.

Without a dedicated lab, most of the robots were assembled and tested at home, but with a passion for technology and the dedicated support of teacher Nguyen Ho Thuy Khanh, the "PVT-Ben Tre" team from Phan Van Tri High School excellently won third prize at the National Robocon Competition in the 2025-2026 school year, contributing to spreading the spirit of STEM and innovation in schools.

Members of the Robocon team “PVT-Ben Tre” and their instructor at the final round of the Robocon competition for the 2025-2026 school year.

From a small club

The national finals of the Robocon ORC competition for the 2025-2026 school year, organized by the Institute for School Design Research under the Ministry of Education and Training in collaboration with universities, will be held in early June 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing together nearly 200 outstanding teams from across the country. Participating teams were selected from three regional clusters: North, Central, and South; among them, the Robocon team “PVT-Ben Tre” from Phan Van Tri High School was one of the representatives invited by the organizers to participate in the finals after achieving high results in the Mekong Delta region.

The team consisted of three members: Pham Chi Hoai (12A1), Phan Thanh Loc (11A1), and Nguyen Dong Duy (10A1). Despite being in different grade levels, they all share a passion for technology, programming, and robotics; and are core members of the Robocon Club at Phan Van Tri High School. Under the guidance of their computer science teacher, Ms. Nguyen Ho Thuy Khanh, the team excelled, winning third place in the national finals.

Behind that proud achievement lies a journey of nurturing passion for both teachers and students. Pham Chi Hoai, a 12th-grade student from class 12A1 and Vice-Chairman of the Robocon Club at Phan Van Tri High School, said: "When I first entered the school, I was introduced to the club and robot competitions by senior students. Gradually, I became captivated by designing, assembling, and programming. This passion not only kept me in the club but also motivated me to invite more friends to join. From just a few initial members, the club now attracts more than 40 students from various grade levels who participate regularly."

According to Ms. Nguyen Ho Thuy Khanh, the journey of maintaining and developing the club has not been easy. There was a period when activities were almost interrupted due to a lack of facilities and funding. However, building on the foundation of Youth Union activities, in 2022, she and her students gathered like-minded individuals to rebuild the club.

From a group of like-minded students meeting after school, the Robocon Club of Phan Van Tri High School has gradually become a place that nurtures a passion for science and technology for many generations of students; at the same time, it has made its mark with encouraging achievements in technology competitions inside and outside the province.

Self-learning, self-doing, and overcoming difficulties on one's own.

For the most part, the team's activities are sustained by the self-discipline and passion of both teachers and students. Electronic components are primarily purchased online by the students. Within the team, each member is responsible for a specific task. Some are in charge of mechanical design, some specialize in control programming, and others optimize the robot's movements. Thanks to this clear division of labor, even though they are in different classes and grades, they still cooperate effectively.

Pham Chi Hoai (class 12A1) - a member of the "PVT-Ben Tre" team and a member of the team performing in the final round.

Without dedicated laboratories or training areas, the robots were mostly assembled and tested in the homes of the participants. The competition boards were printed using templates provided by the organizers. In the afternoons after school, the children gathered to test, adjust, and perfect their robots. For them, the greatest joy was not just the prize, but the process of creating together and solving engineering problems.

Phan Thanh Loc shared: “What I hope is that the school will provide more funding and equipment so that more students passionate about technology have the opportunity to participate. Many students are very interested but are hesitant due to financial constraints.”

The keeper of the flame of passion for technology.

When mentioning the success of the Phan Van Tri High School Robocon team, the students all express special appreciation for Ms. Nguyen Ho Thuy Khanh, who has accompanied and motivated them throughout the years.

Khanh's passion for robots and technology has been nurtured since her school days. The Robocon competitions broadcast on television years ago sparked her interest in science, engineering, programming, and technological innovation.

In 1994, when she first became involved in the field of Information Technology, she was always concerned about how to give students in her hometown the opportunity to access modern technological fields, to experience, explore , and develop their creative abilities. From that thought, Ms. Khanh persistently gathered students with shared interests, gradually building and maintaining the school's Robocon Club.

"I think the most important thing is to ignite students' passion. When they truly love something, they will proactively learn, explore, and create on their own. The teacher's role is simply to accompany, guide, and motivate them," Ms. Khanh shared.

According to Ms. Khanh, for the scientific research movement, STEM education, and Robocon to develop sustainably in schools, more attention needs to be paid to facilities, practical equipment, operating funds, and timely incentive and encouragement mechanisms for both teachers and students. These will be important conditions to nurture a passion for technology, create an environment for students to develop their creative abilities, and gradually approach the current trend of digital transformation and innovation.

According to Nguyen Thanh Tinh, Vice Principal of Phan Van Tri High School, the Robocon team's achievement is a positive sign in the implementation of STEM education and the development of technological skills for students in accordance with the 2018 General Education Program. The school will continue to use the Robocon models from the competition as visual teaching aids in practical lessons in Informatics and Technology, allowing students to directly assemble, program, and operate the equipment instead of just learning theory.

The school will maintain and expand the STEM Club's activities, promoting the core role of teachers and Robocon team members in supporting learning and scientific research projects within the school. STEM experiential and creative days will also be organized to create an environment for students to apply their knowledge of Mathematics, Informatics, and Technology to create practical products such as robots, automation equipment, or environmentally friendly models.

Text and photos: PHAN HAN

Source: https://baovinhlong.com.vn/khoa-hoc-cong-nghe/202606/tu-cau-lac-bo-robocon-lan-toa-tinh-yeu-cong-nghe-dcf47fe/