Teachers Learn Robotics to Help Students in Western Kenya

In an era where technology drives innovation across every sector, equipping educators with cutting-edge digital skills has become more critical than ever. The future of education depends on teachers who can inspire and prepare students for a world increasingly shaped by robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital innovation. The Riley Orton Foundation Partners with Futures Infinite and  support from Raspberry Pi to train teachers in Western Kenya. Over 160 teachers have been trained  to learn about robotics in September 2025. The first training happened in on 6th september 2025 in Kisumu County with 60 teachers. The second one was on 13th september in Bungoma County and had over 100 teachers. This shows that many teachers want to learn new skills to help their students.
During the training, teachers learned how to use the Raspberry Pi Pico. This is a small computer that is like Arduino and ESP32, but it works faster. Teachers practiced connecting LED lights and writing simple computer programs using a language called MicroPython. They got hands-on experience that they can use in their classrooms right away.
Through the Raspberry Pi foundation website teachers access free lesson plans on their website. These lessons are easy to follow and don't cost anything. This means teachers and students can keep learning even after the training ends. Having free resources helps schools that don't have much money for technology.
Teachers benefit from this training in many ways. They learn new skills that make them better at their jobs. They can make their lessons more interesting by using technology. Students pay more attention when they can touch and build things instead of just reading books. Teachers also meet other teachers who share the same interests and can help each other.
Students get even more benefits. They learn skills they will need for future jobs in technology. Working with robots helps them think better and solve problems. Many students become more interested in science and math after trying robotics. These hands-on activities help them do better in all their school subjects. Most importantly, they get ready for jobs in Kenya's growing technology industry.

Each teacher who got trained can help about 30 to 50 students every year. With over 160 trained teachers, thousands of students will learn these important skills. When teachers start Code Clubs and teach other teachers, even more students benefit.
The Raspberry Pi Pico is perfect for schools because it doesn't cost too much money, but it can do many things. Combined with the free lessons from Raspberry Pi, schools can keep teaching robotics for a long time without spending more money.

This training program is just the beginning. Teachers are excited about what they learned, and many are already starting Code Clubs in their schools. This shows that teachers in Western Kenya really want to give their students the best education possible.
By training teachers today, we are helping students prepare for tomorrow. These teachers can now inspire their students to use technology to solve problems and create new things. When students learn these skills young, they can become the inventors and business owners who will make Kenya stronger in the future.

By Raphael Achapa; Program assisant