MIAMI — The competition is heating up at the Overtown Youth Center, where students are putting their skills to the test at the Do Good 4-1 Robotics Spring Showdown on Saturday.
But organizers say the event is about more than wins and losses on the battlefield.
It’s about exposing young people to opportunities in technology and showing them what they can achieve.
“It’s a battle of bots,” said 13-year-old Genesis Madrid, who is competed at he event. “I like to win. I’m super competitive.”
Before the matches even begin, students are working together to troubleshoot issues and fine-tune their machines.
“We’re trying to see what’s wrong with it because it’s not connecting,” Madrid said. “I like our teamwork.”
The event is organized by Do Good 4-1, a nonprofit founded last year by Max Joseph. He said the program focuses on more than robotics.
“We’re building confidence, we’re building character and we’re building community,” Joseph said.
Many of the students started with no prior experience, but the program has quickly expanded to 18 teams. Participants have designed, built and coded their own robots.
Joseph said he hopes the experience helps put students on a path toward careers in technology, particularly for those from high-need communities.
“It means a lot to me personally because I’m from this community and I didn’t have this opportunity,” he said. “Now they have access to scholarships to go to college. And now they’re on a career track to be a part of this tech system, where they’re not just consumers, but they’re also producers.”
Organizers say that while trophies are on the line, the bigger takeaway is the experience students gain — from coding and engineering to teamwork and problem-solving.
Do Good 4-1 also offers summer programs for students interested in robotics and technology.
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