GIRLS LINE UP AGAINST TEAMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, INTEND TO SHOW ROBOTICS IS NOT A MALE THING
RUNAWAY BAY, St Ann; June 15, 2026
By Okoye Henry (JIS)
A three-member team from St. Hilda’s Diocesan High School in Brown’s Town, St. Ann, will carry Jamaica’s flag in Eindhoven, Netherlands, when they compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) European Premier Event 2026 from Tuesday, June 16 to Saturday, June 20.
The team from the all-girls school, made up of captain Toria-Lee Martin, Deijhanae Thomas, and lead engineer Isheka Rose, will match skills in engineering, programming, and teamwork against competitors from around the world.
(WorldSkills Jamaica robotics expert Dihanroy Mitchell, right, assists Isheka Rose (centre) from the St. Hilda’s Diocesan High School robotics team with the assembly of a robot. Observing (from left) are team members, Deijhanae Thomas and Toria-Lee Martin; Teacher, Nadeem Thomas; and Technical Delegate, World Skills Jamaica, Dwayne Bent. Occasion was the closing ceremony of the WorldSkills Jamaica and Studica Robotics International Training Camp on Friday (June 12), at the Cardiff Hotel & Spa in Runaway Bay, St. Ann.)
The young ladies secured their place after their strong performance in the FIRST Tech Challenge Jamaica National Robotics Championship held earlier this year.
Toria-Lee, who spoke to JIS News on Friday, June 12, at the closing ceremony for the WorldSkills Jamaica and Studica Robotics International Training Camp at the Cardiff Hotel & Spa in Runaway Bay, St. Ann, said that the team’s participation was not only about
winning but highlighting female excellence in robotics.
“Robotics is not an activity that only men can partake in. Women can, as well, and we’re living proof of this, as our robotics team is just women and we made our robot ourselves. So, it is possible. There are many opportunities in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) world, so yeah, women too can do it,” the sixth-form student said.
Deijhanae, a fourth-form student, told JIS News that she is looking forward to the experience and bringing something back for their school. She said she wants to show her schoolmates that robotics and engineering can be “fun, expressive and full of opportunity”.
WorldSkills Jamaica Team Leader, Charlene Mohan, told JIS News that the organisation, through the HEART/NSTA Trust, has been working with the St. Hilda’s team to prepare for the competition in the Netherlands.
In March 2025, HEART/NSTA Trust relaunched World Skills Clubs in secondary schools to help students develop skills aligned with international competition standards.
“St Hilda’s was the first school to sign up as a World Skills Club, and robotics is currently the most common area of focus, alongside engineering, cooking and other technical disciplines,” Mrs. Mohan pointed out.
The WorldSkills Jamaica and Studica Robotics International Training Camp featured participants from China, Singapore, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Barbados, South Africa, Canada (Studica Robotics), and Jamaica.
