When Local Partnerships Open Doors: Bringing Robotics Training to Dumanjug
Three hours from Cebu City, in the coastal municipality of Dumanjug, teachers gathered to learn how robotics and programming could become part of their STEM teaching.
The training was made possible through our partnership with Philippine Science High School–Central Visayas (PSHS-CVisC). Recognizing an opportunity to bring hands-on STEM professional development to teachers in Dumanjug, PSHS-CVisC worked with the local government to secure funding for the training.
For Pueblo Science, Dumanjug is a good example of how a strong local partnership can turn an opportunity into action.
Finding a Way Forward
Bringing STEM training to communities outside major urban centres can come with unexpected challenges.
This year, rising fuel and transportation costs forced two planned community trainings to be cancelled because the costs had become too high for participants.
Dumanjug found a way forward.
PSHS-CVisC brought the Municipality of Dumanjug into the partnership and helped secure funding to support the participating teachers, as well as meals and accommodation for our volunteers.
The support removed some of the practical barriers to participation and allowed teachers to take part in hands-on robotics training that they might otherwise not have been able to access.
It was a reminder that expanding STEM opportunities does not always require a new program. Sometimes, it requires connecting the right people and resources.
Learning by Building
The training focused on learning through practice.
Participants assembled robotics kits, programmed them, tested their ideas, and worked through challenges with the support of Pueblo Science facilitators. For many, robotics was a new and exciting learning experience.
The combination of clear lessons, demonstrations, and hands-on activities helped participants connect technical concepts with practical applications.
The evaluation reflected this strongly. Participants rated the workshop highly for the clarity of its objectives, organization of the lessons, instructional materials, demonstrations, and support provided by facilitators. They particularly appreciated the patience and approachability of the trainers and their ability to explain complex concepts in accessible ways.
Participants reported gains in:
Robotics knowledge
Programming skills
STEM awareness
Problem-solving
Creativity and innovation
Confidence in engaging with technology
They described the training as fun, interactive, educational, memorable, worthwhile, and inspiring.
Several participants said it was among the best training programs they had attended. Others expressed interest in continuing their robotics learning and bringing similar opportunities to more students.
They Wanted More
One of the most encouraging findings from the evaluation was what participants asked for next.
The most common recommendation was to extend the training beyond two days. Participants wanted more time to assemble robots, practice programming, and explore more advanced concepts.
“I learned new insights into how robotics works and how it can be applied, especially as a teacher in my classroom. It provided me with new tools for my teaching and learning for my students. My favourite part of the workshop was learning how to assemble all the parts of the robot, how to use different sensors—distance, line, and others—and how they can be combined to solve a problem. The line-tracing activity, learning how to calibrate the robot so it works, and then participating in the line-following race was so much fun. I have to teach a special topic in my class about robotics, how it works, and how it can be applied in our community; the kit and the workshop are perfect.”
Participants also asked for more robotics kits, additional hands-on activities, larger working spaces, more challenges and competitions, and follow-up or advanced training.
We see these requests as an important signal. Participants were not simply satisfied with the experience—they were asking for more opportunities to deepen their learning.
For us, that raises an important question: How can a short training become the beginning of a longer learning journey?
The Multiplier Effect of Teacher Training
Teacher training offers one way to extend that journey.
A student who participates in a single robotics workshop has one opportunity to explore programming and technology. A teacher who develops confidence with robotics can potentially bring those experiences to many students over time.
That is why partnerships like the one in Dumanjug matter.
Pueblo Science brought the robotics curriculum, training, and technical expertise. PSHS-CVisC helped identify the opportunity and connect us with the local community. The Municipality of Dumanjug provided the resources that made it possible for teachers to participate.
Each partner contributed something different.
Together, they created a pathway for teachers to experience hands-on STEM learning—and potentially carry that experience back to their classrooms.
From One Training to What Comes Next
The Dumanjug experience reinforced an important lesson: local partnerships can make STEM opportunities possible, while teacher training can help those opportunities reach further.
The evaluation tells us that participants valued the experience and want more. Their requests for longer workshops, advanced training, follow-up activities, and robotics competitions point toward opportunities to build on the foundation established in Dumanjug.
For Pueblo Science, the next step is to continue working with partners who can help create those opportunities.
In Dumanjug, the robotics kits were the starting point. The partnership is what made the training possible—and the teachers who participated are what give the experience the potential to reach many more students.