Minds Inspired

🤖 The future of STEM is bright in Cayman!

Congratulations to the 160+ students from 19 schools who showcased their technical brilliance at this year’s Dart Minds Inspired robotics competitions! 🇰🇾

Why it matters:

⚡Rapid growth: the junior programme has more than doubled in just one year!
⚡Real-world skills: students tackled the full engineering design cycle - prototyping, testing, and refining under pressure.
⚡Global path: standout participants are now one step closer to representing the Cayman Islands at the international FIRST Global Challenge in South Korea.

As student competitor Dezira Tatum put it: "It’s not just about coding ... it helps with critical thinking, building friendships and making connections for future jobs."

🔗 Read the full story at the link below.

Minds Inspired - Minds Inspired robotics competitions inspire Cayman’s next generation of innovators | Minds Inspired Stay updated with the latest press releases and stories from Minds Inspired, a Dart initiative. Explore inspiring initiatives and achievements that promote STEM education in Cayman.

✨79 students
✨11 public and private schools
✨47 teachers trained
✨ Priceless experience

The first‑ever VEX IQ Mix & Match Junior Interschool Robotics Competition brought together 79 students under the age of 15 representing 11 public and private schools. Designed to introduce younger students to robotics, the event encouraged creativity, problem‑solving and hands‑on engineering. Participants collaborated to design and operate VEX IQ robots, gaining early exposure to engineering fundamentals, critical thinking, teamwork, communication and leadership.

⚙️ Congratulations to all the winners:

Teamwork Champion – Cayman Prep and Cayman International School
Teamwork Finalist – Clifton Hunter and Grace Christian Academy
First place: Cayman Prep
Second place Hope Academy
Third place Grace Christian Academy
Excellence award – First Baptist Christian School
Design award – Triple C School
Innovate award – Grace Christian Academy
Judges award – Clifton Hunter High School
Build award – Hope Academy
Think award (Programming) – St. Ignatius Catholic School
Sportsmanship award – Triple C School
Coaching award – Jerome Findley, Hope Academy

🦾 A huge thanks to our sponsors: Aureum RE, CUC, Dart t, BRAVA Logic, Health City Cayman Islands and KPMG.

VEX IQ Mix & Match Interschool Robotics Competition

Cayman’s robotics stars shine! 🤖✨

Huge congratulations to the winners of this year’s FIRST Tech Challenge! The energy was electric as 86 brilliant students from 8 schools across the island brought 14 custom-built robots to life. Under this year’s DECODE theme, it wasn't just about the tech - it was a showcase of engineering precision. These teams proved that the future of STEM in the Cayman Islands is brighter than ever. 🇰🇾

Winning Alliance Teams - CIS Science and CIS Technology
Finalist Alliance Teams – Layman E Scott High School and Clifton Hunter High School
Innovation & Engineering Design Award – CIS Science
Team Spirit award – Triple C School
Judges award – Layman E. Scott High School
Inspire award – Clifton Hunter High School
Coaching award – Desmond White, John Gray High School and Rob Hazelwood, CIS

Kudos to all the participants for their hard work and ingenuity! ⚙️🏆

Thank you to our sponsors: Aureum RE, CUC, Dart , BRAVA Logic, Health City Cayman Islands and KPMG.

FIRST Global

Happy World Engineering Day! 🌎⚙️

Today, we celebrate the innovators who turn "what if" into "what is." In the Cayman Islands, the future of engineering is already in the hands of our youth through the Minds Inspired robotics programme. Engineering is more than just math and mechanics - it’s a foundation to build a better world.

Check our socials this Friday for the release of our Minds Inspired short documentary on the robotics programme!

🤖 Across the Cayman Islands, students under the age of 15 have been busy bringing their digital dreams to life. After months of building and coding, these young innovators are ready to debut their robots at the inaugural Minds Inspired Junior Robotics Interschool Tournament. To ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed, the programme removes the barrier to entry by providing all equipment to schools at no cost. This includes:

🚀 VEX IQ education and competition kits: high-grade components for building and coding
🦾 Official playing fields: full-scale arena for each school to practice their maneuvers
🧠 Teacher empowerment: 47 teachers completed hands-on professional development workshops

Launched as a five‑school pilot in 2024, the Junior Robotics Programme has quickly grown—expanding to 11 public and private schools in 2025. This expansion reflects Dart’s commitment to inspiring STEM learning at a younger age and fostering collaborative, hands‑on problem solving through robotics. ⚡

💡VEX IQ Mix & Match Competition
🗓️ Friday 27 February 2026
⏰ 12 - 5 p.m.
📍Camana Bay Arts and Recreation Centre

With the help of our generous sponsors Aureum RE, CUC, Dart, BRAVA Logic, Health City Cayman Islands and KPMG, Minds Inspired is proud to continue growing the programme expanding opportunities for young innovators across the Cayman Islands.

⚡ The spark of innovation is alive across the Cayman Islands as high school students prepare for the upcoming DECODE℠ FIRST Tech Challenge on Saturday, 28 February. Scroll through for a sneak peek at the creativity and teamwork of our local youth as they get ready to compete for the top prize and spots on the national robotics team. 🏆

⚙️ All are welcome to this free event, which takes place at the Arts and Recreation Centre in Camana Bay.

DECODE℠ FIRST Tech Challenge
Interschool Robotics Tournament
Saturday 28 February 2026
12 - 6 p.m.
Camana Bay Arts and Recreation Centre

With the help of our generous sponsors Aureum RE, Caribbean Utilities Company Ltd, Dart, Logic Cayman, Health City Cayman Islands and KPMG, Minds Inspired is proud to continue growing the programme expanding opportunities for young innovators across the Cayman Islands.

🤖 Young innovators from 11 schools are gearing up for the debut of the VEX IQ Mix & Match Interschool Robotics Competition! Expanding on last year’s teaser competition, this official launch gives students aged 15 and under a chance to showcase their problem‑solving, teamwork and creativity. By investing in STEM learning at an earlier age, these young competitors are given a platform to explore future STEM careers such as robotics and machine learning.

Come out and support the future of innovation on Friday, 27 February, from 12 to 5 p.m. at the Camana Bay Arts & Recreations Centre. Admission is free.

Thank you to these sponsors for their support:

Auruem RE
CUC
Dart
Logic
Health City Cayman Islands
KPMG

Save the Date for the 2026 FIRST Tech Challenge themed “DECODE”! On Saturday, 28 February, from 12 to 6 p.m. at the Camana Bay Arts and Recreation Centre, students from eight schools across the Cayman Islands will put their STEM learning into action, designing, building and programming robots to take on challenges. 🤖 More than a competition, this event provides a platform for students to demonstrate problem-solving, teamwork and creativity, skills that will shape their future far beyond robotics.

🎟️ Admission is free. Come cheer on Cayman’s young innovators as they bring creativity and STEM skills to life.

A huge thank you to our sponsors for inspiring students to dream bigger through STEM. 🌟

🎓 Continuing to celebrate Cayman’s class of 2025

As graduation season continues, Minds Inspired is proud to recognise more of this year’s outstanding STEM achievers — students whose curiosity, perseverance and love of learning exemplify the spirit of innovation we strive to inspire.

Our latest 2025 Dart STEM Award recipients are:

🏅 Sirichandana Batta – Layman E. Scott Sr. High School
🏅 Wyatt McLaughlin – UCCI Dual Entry Programme
🏅 Jadon Connor – Clifton Hunter High School
🏅 Lola Haworth – John Gray High School (not pictured)

“These students’ commitment to STEM subjects reflects both talent and determination,” says Glenda McTaggart, Dart’s senior manager, education programmes. “We’re proud to celebrate their academic excellence and to support the next generation of problem-solvers shaping Cayman’s future.”

👏 Congratulations to all the 2025 graduates and award recipients across the Cayman Islands. Stay tuned as we continue to highlight more exceptional students in the weeks ahead.