Hackathon
Cant'i Lama Challenge
April 22 - 25 & 27, 2025 • Marriott Aruba Resort
Ideate, build and program your robot at the 5-day Robotics Hackathon and get the chance to represent Aruba at the 2025 FIRST Global Challenge in Panama!
About the event
The STEM Embassy’s annual hackathon brings together teams of local students (ages 14-18) to tackle real-world challenges using robotics, programming and engineering.
This year’s theme: Cant'i Lama Challenge!
Aruba’s beautiful beaches need your help! Trash and pollution continue to threaten marine life and coastal ecosystems. Over 5 days, you’ll take part in interactive and hands-on workshops led by local experts, where you’ll learn how to design, build and program beach-cleaning robots.
Why join the Hackathon
💡Build and program robots that smartly sort waste, helping local recycling efforts and keeping our beaches clean.
🏗️ Learn to upgrade your robots with 3D-printed parts.
🤝 Solve the challenge by working in a team.
🙌 Meet fellow enthusiasts and share ideas with your community.
🥇 The winning team secures a spot to represent Aruba at the 2025 FIRST Global Challenge in Panama 🇵🇦!
So, what’s a “Hackathon”?
At a hackathon, programmers, designers, and other tech enthusiasts collaborate intensively on projects, often software or hardware prototypes, over a short period, typically ranging from a day to a week. The goal is to create innovative solutions to specific challenges or simply explore new ideas in a creative and fast-paced environment.
They’re popular in tech organizations, companies, schools, and universities worldwide!
Winners go to the 2025 FIRST Global Challenge
Every year, the winning team of The STEM Embassy’s hackathon challenge has a chance to compete at the FIRST Global challenge, the international Olympics-style competition of robotics.
At the 2023 FIRST Global Challenge↗ we had a team represent us all the way in Singapore! At the 2024 FIRST Global Challenge, we went to Athens, Greece. This year, the competition will take place in Panama from October 29 - November 1, 2025. Find out more about the event here.
Join the Hackathon!
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Tuesday, 22 April
9 AM to 3 PM
Check-in, event opening and workshops.
Wednesday, April 23
9 AM to 3 PM
Work sessions and testing.
Thursday, April 24
9 AM to 3 PM
Work sessions and testing.
Friday, April 25
9 AM to 3 PM
Work sessions and testing.
Sunday, April 2711 AM to 8 PM
Final competition, presentations & awards
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April 22-24
Aruba Marriott Resort Amsterdam Ballroom, L.G. Smith Boulevard 101, Palm Beach, Aruba
April 25
Location To Be Announced
April 27
Aruba Marriott Resort Grand Ballroom, L.G. Smith Boulevard 101, Palm Beach, Aruba
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AFL 30,- per participant
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⚙️ Day 1: Kick off with expert-led workshops on the fundamentals of robotics and programming.
🤖 Day 2: Begin assembling your robot and learning how to program it.
🔧 Day 3: Complete the robot build and programming, and conduct initial test runs to make sure everything works.
🎯 Day 4: An expert panel from local organizations will share insights on recycling and marine conservation. You will also Work out your winning strategy for movement, collection and efficiency. Continue testing the robots for the big challenge ahead.
🏆 Day 5: Teams will then pitch their own recycling system idea for Aruba, applying what they’ve learned throughout the challenge!
The official robotics challenge will also take place in a large arena, where participating teams will complete a series of challenges and earn points from the panel of judges.
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English & Papiamento
Limited additional support in Dutch will be available.
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Lunch & workshop materials
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It is preferred for you to apply as a complete team of minimum 3 and maximum 5 high school students between the ages of 14 and 18. We are also accepting individual applications.
Hackathon participation
To participate in the Hackathon, participants must be between 14 and 18 years old.
First Global Robotics Challenge 2025 participation requirement
The First Global Challenge requires participants to be between 14 and 18 years old and enrolled in a high school (voortgezet onderwijs) in the 2025-2026 school year. There is no restriction on the level of education (MAVO/HAVO/VWO/Other), and your team members don’t all have to be from the same school. If you don’t meet these requirements, you can’t participate in the FIRST Global Robotics Competition.
No prior robotics experience is needed, only motivation and willingness to learn!
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1. Apply
We will be selecting teams consisting of 3-5 participants, as well as solo participants. A total of 10 teams will be able to participate in the hackathon, so unfortunately we will not be able to accept all participants.
As part of your application, we ask a crucial question that helps us in our selection process. Based on the answers, we will be selecting the teams who will compete in the “Cant’i Lama” Challenge.
We will review the answers, and you will hear back from us if you were selected to participate.
2. Wait on confirmation & payment
If you have been selected, you will receive further details on the payment in a registration confirmation email. If are not selected, not to worry! We will be organizing more events like this in the future, and you are welcome to register.
3. Payment confirmation
Once your payment is completed and confirmed, you will receive a payment confirmation email within 7 working days.Note: Payment must be completed within 7 days of receiving the confirmation email of your accepted registration. Your participation is only guaranteed after payment is confirmed.
Payments are non-refundable once received.
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One of The STEM Embassy’s core values is to be open to all. If the participation fee constrains you from participating in this event, then we don’t want that to be the reason you miss out! Tell us more about your motivation to participate on our Scholarship Program Portal.
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