Right to Dream Academy robotics team to represent Ghana at 2025 Robofest World Finals

The Right to Dream Academy is once again making headlines—not on the football pitch, but in the field of technology—as its Robotics Team prepares to represent Ghana at the 2025 Robofest World Championship in Michigan, USA, from May 15 to 17.

Best known for developing elite student-athletes who earn academic scholarships abroad, the Academy is equally committed to reshaping how young Africans engage with science and technology. What began in 2013 as an after-school robotics club has evolved into a cornerstone of the school’s strategy to nurture talent beyond football.

“Our vision was simple but strategic: if football could open doors to some of the world’s best educational institutions, then robotics could ignite the passion that would shape students’ academic and professional journeys once they got there,” said Christian Taylor, Group Head of IT at Right to Dream.

The Academy’s decision to invest in tech education stems from a troubling gap—while many of its graduates pursued humanities-based degrees, none initially ventured into science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) disciplines. With Africa set to have the world’s largest youth population by 2030, and over 230 million digital-based jobs projected in Sub-Saharan Africa by that year, Right to Dream recognised the need to realign its academic offerings.

In 2016, Right to Dream partnered with LEGO® Education to integrate robotics into its ICT curriculum. Every student now completes at least one year of structured robotics training. The programme has yielded tangible results. Since 2016, the Academy has become the most decorated institution in the Robotics Inspired Science Education (RISE) competition, organised by the Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation.

In 2024, Right to Dream etched its name in global robotics history by winning the World Championship in the Bottle Sumo Time Trial category at the Robofest International Competition in the United States. This year, the team emerged as national champions in Ghana’s Unknown Mission Challenge, defeating prominent schools such as Prempeh College and Our Lady of Grace (OLAG).

Their upcoming trip to Michigan marks yet another milestone, as the team prepares to showcase their innovation, technical skill, and strategic thinking on a global platform.

“Right to Dream’s Robotics Program is more than about building machines. It’s about building futures. We are cultivating a new generation of African innovators who will drive the continent’s transformation,” Taylor added.

As the team heads to the United States, they do so not just as competitors, but as ambassadors of a broader mission—proving that Africa’s youth can lead not only on the field, but also in the labs, workshops, and boardrooms that shape tomorrow’s world.