“SCIENCE IS FUN, SCIENCE IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE AS PEOPLE MAKE IT OUT TO BE.” HON. MINISTER OF EDUCATION, JOSEPH NSENGIMANA SAYS, AT FIRST LEGO LEAGUE AND AI HACKATHON COMPETITIONS

On 2nd March, 2025, Ministry of Education through Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB) in partnership with Coderina, STEM Inspires, the Ministry of ICT and other stakeholders organized the First Lego League (FLL) and AI Hackathon competitions at the national level which took place at Intare Conference Arena.

The national championship title of the First Lego League was won by Groupe Scolaire Officiel de Butare while Ecole des Sciences Byimana took the AI Hackathon challenge title and, Queens College of Nigeria triumphed the international category while Eduational Institute for The Blind in Kibeho took home the prize for Innovative Project Award.

Honorable Joseph Nsengimana, Minister of Education, the event’s guest of honor, delivered his closing remarks by congratulating all competitors and highlighting the recognition of teachers brought by their sense of responsibility.

He continued by showcasing how inevitable science is, regardless of any area of work, especially in this era. In addition to that, he reminded students that science is not a complicated matter as the society labels it.

“Science is fun, science is not impossible as people make it out to be. Actually in this 21^st century that we are living in, it is imperative that we are all science literate, we are all computer literate, and we are AI literate because you will need to know these skills to anything you choose to do in this century. We are going to make sure that all students in Rwanda are exposed to AI, computer ,and Robotics.” Hon. Joseph reiterated.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Nelson Mbarushimana, Director General of Rwanda Basic Education Board, pointed out how this “is not just a place of learning but also a vibrant arena whereby, boundless potential of young minds is celebrated through problem solving, innovation, teamwork and creativity.”

“To all of us, let it be a moment of enthusiasm and understand that investment in integrating robotics and Artificial Intelligence education is not a waste but a foundation to ensure the integration of ICT in teaching and learning for quality education.” Dr. Nelson, DG REB said.

Among other dignitaries who attended this year’s First Lego League competition at the national level were Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, Mr. Yves Iradukunda.

He stated that aside from competing to win, “students have also honed problem solving abilities and embraced critical thinking process.

Robotics is very important due to a lot of transformation taking place in technology in addition to AI which is changing our lives on a daily basis. These skills are shaping you with the tools we need to design and pioneer the future we want.”

Hirwa Bavon Sanctus, an A’Level student from College Saint Andre is among many students who participated in the competition as his school worked on a project called “coral reefs restoration” aimed at tackling oral breaching caused by higher temperatures in water.

As their team captain, he says that the cause behind their project is in connection with the current issue of climate change which is a threat to any specie.

Sanctus also clarified that among the benefits of such competitions is that they “stipulate innovation and creativity and challenge him and his peers to be unique when it comes to creating projects that are impactful in changing lives.”

National Champions of the First Lego League, Groupe Solaire Officiel de Butare are expected to represent Rwanda at the international competition scheduled in the United States of America whereas AI Hackathon winners, Ecole des Sciences Byimana will travel to Switzerland.

In addition to this, all winning teams in their particular categories were awarded with laptops.

This year’s First Lego League was held for the third time after the 2023 and 2024 editions, respectively. Before the national level competition, 25 schools from four provinces and the City of Kigali emerged as regional level winners to qualify for the national stage.

The First Lego League (FLL) program is an internationally recognized initiative designed to inspire and engage young minds in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in addition to fostering problems, teamwork, critical thinking, creativity and a passion for STEM among participants.