Belize Robotics Federation Emerges as Global STEM Contender

The Belize Robotics Federation (BRF) may be one of the youngest national bodies in the country, but in just two years it has positioned Belize as a rising force in global STEM competitions. Formally launched in 2023, the Federation was created on the heels of Belize’s historic gold-medal win at the FIRST Global Robotics Challenge in Geneva, a victory that established robotics as a national point of pride and led Belize to officially recognize it as a sport. Its creation marked a turning point in how the country approaches science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Love News spoke to the federation’s president Jamie Lee Usher who describes the push behind the federations inception and what they hope to achieve in the future.

Jamie Usher, President, Belize Robotics Federation: “The Belize Robotics Federation came about because of our dream to have robotics be something national in Belize. We didn’t want it to be only available in certain schools. So we formed the Federation, the President, Vice President and Secretary and we are committed to having our vision of having robotics available to every Belizean boy and girl. We’re excited that we have 14 digital connect centers but we have no indication as yet as to what this program can do. So we are just excited that we have the idea and the support from the Ministry of E-governance and we’re wanting more centers to open as more and more students would be able to access this.”

Before the Federation existed, robotics programs were limited to a handful of schools. Following Belize’s international breakthrough in 2022, momentum grew rapidly, and the government moved to formally organize the discipline. The Federation was launched with a clear mandate: expand access to robotics training, standardize competitions, and prepare Belizean students to innovate and compete on the world stage. Since then, the BRF has been building a national structure, training teachers and coaches, establishing community-based teams, and aligning with global standards through partnerships with organizations like VEX Robotics. Today, robotics is not only a competitive sport in Belize, but also a pathway to workforce development. Workshops and training events have started via Digital Connect Centers, giving students hands on exposure to engineering design, coding, automation, and problem-solving, Skills that the federation’s Secretary, Luis Silva says can be of useful to students across the country.