A Vibrant Showcase of STEAM Education: The 5th National Youth Science and Technology Competition’s “Exploring the Future” Robot Challenge Kicks Off Successfully

From July 26 to 27, the grand finals of the 5th (2024–2025 academic year) National Youth Science and Technology Education Achievement Exhibition and Competition (NYSTC) took place in Beijing’s Fangshan District. Recognized on the Ministry of Education’s “white list,” this year’s finals drew 2,199 teams and 3,324 young tech enthusiasts from 18 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across China. They converged in Beijing to showcase their skills in 21 thrilling events, engaging in fierce yet inspiring competitions.

 As the core event of this year’s competition, the “Exploring the Future” Robot Challenge perfectly embodied the core philosophy of STEAM education. From mechanical balance in structural building to the modular adaptation of intelligent open-source hardware; from the precise debugging of logical programming to the instant responsiveness of manual control — the competition was like a three-dimensional knowledge network, transforming multidisciplinary knowledge into actionable STEAM education practice. It cultivated participants’ abilities in structural construction, logical programming, hands-on skills, machine learning, innovation and creativity, as well as teamwork, continuously inspiring students’ potential for technological innovation.

Science: 

Contestants needed to understand the principles of mechanics and sensor technology in robot movement. 

Technology:

Programming techniques were used to achieve precise control of the robot car. 

Engineering:

Designing and building stable, reliable robot cars, applying engineering thinking to solve real-world challenges.

Arts: 

Incorporating aesthetic considerations into the construction and design of the robot cars. 

Mathematics:

Using precise calculations to optimize robot trajectories and plan the most efficient routes. 

At the competition venue, a contestant from Zhejiang said: “We had to keep debugging our programs and improving the structure. This process helped me truly understand how academic knowledge is applied to real-world problems.” This experience is a vivid example of the “learning by doing” philosophy that STEAM education promotes. Sun, a contestant from Nanjing, Jiangsu, admitted in an interview: “When unexpected situations arise, the ability to stay calm, quickly come up with strategies, and respond effectively is a real-world lesson you can’t learn from textbooks.” This reflects exactly the problem-solving and adaptability skills emphasized in STEAM education.

With the successful conclusion of the grand finals, the precise paths of the robots, the composed demeanor of contestants under pressure, and the sparks of creativity intertwined with the wisdom in their code have all become everlasting memories. “Exploring the Future” is like a key, unlocking the gateway for young people to enter the world of scientific and technological innovation.