Young Dominicans from all corners of the island are about to get a transformative opportunity to dive into the fast-growing fields of robotics, coding, and creative innovation next week, as the Nature Island Innovators Robotics Camp prepares to kick off at Portsmouth Secondary School. The 6-day event, scheduled to run from July 13 to 18, 2026, is the latest initiative from The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Dominica, organized to arm the next generation with the core competencies they need to thrive in a rapidly digitizing global economy.
In an official press release announcing the camp, organizers outlined that the program will be delivered in partnership with Innovate My World, a group focused on expanding tech access for young people. Unlike traditional classroom learning, the camp will center entirely on immersive, hands-on engagement that gets participants actively building and problem-solving from day one. Attendees will tackle structured robotics engineering challenges, work through interactive coding workshops designed for a range of skill levels, collaborate on group projects that test communication, and participate in targeted activities to boost critical soft skills ranging from adaptability to creative thinking.
Program designers emphasized that the camp serves a dual purpose: beyond building foundational technical knowledge in emerging tech fields, it is explicitly crafted to nurture leadership capacity and other transferable life skills that benefit young people across all career paths.
The event will wrap up on July 18 with a public closing ceremony, where camp participants will showcase the full projects they developed throughout the week to attendees, organizers, and community partners. Every participant will walk away with an official certificate of completion to mark their achievement, while standout contributors will earn special recognition through category-specific awards highlighting innovation, teamwork, and technical skill.
Organizers reiterated that the robotics camp aligns with The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Dominica’s long-standing mission to expand accessible development opportunities for young people across the island and drive inclusive youth growth. The initiative would not have been possible without the collective support of a wide network of local stakeholders, including leading financial institutions the National Development Foundation of Dominica (NDFD), National Cooperative Credit Union (NCCU), National Bank of Dominica (NBD), and Republic Bank, along with local private enterprises J. Astaphans & Company and Fine Foods Inc. Additional backing comes from the regional Caribbean Digital Transformation Project and the national Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports and Community Development, reflecting cross-sector commitment to investing in Dominica’s youth.