Writer: MAJ(Ret) Siimoa Galoia
Photographer: MAJ(Ret) Siimoa Galoia
The Tafuna High School Army JROTC program proudly participated in the American Samoa Department of Education’s first-ever Technology Education Expo during Teacher Orientation Week, held from August 26-27, 2024. This event marked a significant milestone in the territory’s commitment to integrating technology and innovation into the educational framework.
The Expo, designed to introduce public school teachers to emerging educational technologies and STEM opportunities, featured Tafuna High School’s distinguished TOA Robotics and TOA Drone teams. The TOA Robotics teams, 21111A and 21111B, along with the TOA Drones teams, 96799A and 96799B, were honored to represent the JROTC program and showcase the remarkable achievements of their after-school STEM programs.
The TOA Robotics teams captivated the audience with an in-depth briefing on this season’s competitive game, “High Stakes.” Teachers from elementary, middle, and high schools were introduced to the strategic challenges and technical intricacies of the game, followed by a live demonstration of a robot prototype. The demonstration highlighted the skills and teamwork fostered within the JROTC program, providing a tangible example of how students can apply classroom knowledge to real-world problem-solving scenarios.
Similarly, the TOA Drone teams provided an engaging briefing on last season’s skills game, “Eclipse.” Participants were given an overview of the CoDrone EDU and python coding and witnessed a live demonstration as the drones navigated a skills course. This demonstration underscored the precision, discipline, and technical expertise developed by students in the JROTC drone program.