Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) President and CEO Laurie Swami recently had the opportunity to witness students from the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School in Hornepayne demonstrate their robotics skills.

The students showed off their creativity in building and programming robots. The robotics kits – that are part of the classroom thanks in part to the NWMO’s support – help improve their creative problem-solving and teamwork skills.

“I enjoyed the robotics demonstration by the students, as well as seeing kids learning while having fun. Such experiences can inspire young people to pursue careers in technical fields, including the nuclear industry. Science and technology are important to our project,” Ms. Swami noted.

In 2017, the NWMO made a $3,400 contribution to start the robotics program at the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School in Hornepayne. The school purchased robotics kits and teacher’s guides for VEX Robotics.

“It is truly amazing to watch the students learn about coding and computer programming. These students have the potential to be our future engineers or machine operators as their learning is starting at such a young age,” noted Laurie MacEachern, Principal, Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School.

In 2018, more than 130 elementary and high-school students from Hornepayne and Manitouwadge gathered for a Robotics Learning Fair in Manitouwadge. The NWMO supported 75 students from Hornepayne to participate in the fair by providing $3,500 to the school.