Africa-Press – Botswana. A group of robotics and coding educators are set to make their mark in South Africa this month as the BrainSTREAM Institute of Technology takes its Robotics and Coding Holiday Camp to five cities covering over 100 public schools.
In an interview, BrainStream head of education, Mr Mohit Lohani said the initiative was more than a tech programme, it was a movement designed to inspire creativity, critical thinking, and innovation in children across the region.
“This is not just about teaching tech it is about nurturing curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. We want every child to feel that they can be an inventor, a coder, or a problem-solver. South Africa has welcomed us and we are excited about the impact we are seeing,” said Mr Lohani.
The holiday camp, open to children aged 6 to 14, will blend fun with foundational STEM learning and Mr Lohani said participants would engage in hands-on activities in robotics, artificial intelligence, animation, coding and drone technology, that would equip them with essential 21st-century skills.
Mr Lohani stated that the fact that the initiative was being spearheaded by a homegrown Botswana institute made it worthy saying it was expanding its educational footprint across borders.
He said the Robotics and Coding Holiday Camp would take place firstly at Hillcrest Primary School on July 4 to 8 in Durban, and July 9 to 12 would be at the Education Evolution Academy in Norwood, Johannesburg.
It will also take place on July 14 to 15 at Morning Star Academy in Vryburg in North West, followed by the Aborvitae Academy Lakeside, Benoni on July 18 to 19 and finally Pink & Blue Preparatory Pongola in KwaZulu Natal Province, on on July 25 to 26.
Activities for children aged 10 to 14 years old include remote controlled robot, parachute building, bouncing ball game, animation and motion pictures and drones among others, Lohani said.
He said over the past two years, BrainSTREAM had trained over 100 educators through its HRDC-accredited STEM & Robotics Educator Certification Course, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to teach emerging technologies in classrooms.
“These certified teachers are now playing a key role in delivering the Robotics and Coding Camps across South Africa, in collaboration with partner schools in each location,” he said.
Among them, he mentioned Ms Tsholofelo Persis Mando, an educator currently pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education, who would be leading the sessions at all five camp locations.
“She has made STEM a central focus of her teaching journey, bringing creativity and foundational tech skills to the youngest learners,” he said.
He said the programme had received backing from the Gauteng District Education Department, which endorsed the initiative for its alignment with South Africa’s digital skills and youth empowerment goals.
The endorsement also allowed the use of the department’s logo, further legitimising BrainSTREAM’s presence in the education space.
With its growing footprint in Southern Africa, BrainSTREAM is proving that innovation in education knows no borders.
Its expansion into South Africa, he said, was not only a reflection of the region’s hunger for future-focused learning but also a strong example of Botswana’s leadership in EdTech.
He said the course received consistent support from BOSETU as recognition of its impact in empowering educators, the true pillars of national development.
The next teacher training cohort will take place from August 18 to 23, in Gaborone and BrainSTREAM hopes to see further support from other teacher unions and continued engagement from the education ministry.
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