Unearthing Curiosity: GRIT Hub at the FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge

This past weekend, the GRIT Hub team joined an incredible group of learners, educators, and community partners at Glenwood House School for the FIRST® LEGO® League “Unearthed” Challenge, hosted by the Inkcubeko Youth & Science Centre.

This year’s theme, “Unearthed,” focused on archaeology and discovery, inviting students to explore how robotics can help us understand the past. It was a full day of curiosity and creativity, the kind of learning experience that stays with you long after the robots are packed away.

A Day of Learning and Collaboration

Teams from across George and the wider Garden Route came ready to compete, each bringing their own approach to solving this year’s robotics missions. For many of the learners, it was their first real exposure to coding and robotics. You could see the excitement build as they worked through problems, adapted their ideas, and celebrated each small success.

There was something special about watching young people step into a space where technology meets imagination. It reminded us why GRIT Hub exists, to open doors for those who might not always get these kinds of opportunities.

Judging, Volunteering, and Connecting

Most of our GRIT Hub team spent the day volunteering, with several serving as judges. It gave us a chance to connect directly with the students, teachers, and mentors behind the projects. We listened to them talk about what inspired their designs, the challenges they faced, and how they worked together as teams.

What stood out most to me was the grit I saw in the students. Some skipped lunch just to get their robots working right, others huddled around their tables trying to solve one last coding issue before the next round. It was not just about competing; it was about their drive to figure things out, to keep trying even when things did not go as planned. That determination is what made the day powerful to witness.

Looking Ahead: Building a Home for Robotics

Being part of a FIRST® Robotics event has been something we have wanted to do for a long time at GRIT Hub. This weekend was an important first step. It showed us that the Garden Route is ready for a much bigger robotics movement, one that is inclusive, creative, and built for our local context.

We are now working with FIRST® Robotics South Africa to bring the FIRST® Tech Challenge to the Garden Route in 2026. It is a more advanced program for older learners, and it is going to open up incredible new opportunities for our schools and youth.

To make that possible, GRIT Hub is planning to build a makerspace where students can come together to design, prototype, and build their robots in a collaborative environment. It will be a place to learn, experiment, and grow, a community workshop for the next generation of problem-solvers.

What Comes Next

This past weekend was a reminder of what can happen when community and opportunity meet. The learners, the energy, and the teamwork all pointed to something bigger happening in our region.

We are grateful to the Inkcubeko Youth & Science Centre for inviting us to be part of this inspiring event, and to every school, teacher, and volunteer who made it a success. The future of robotics in the Garden Route is bright, and we are excited to be part of building it.