Google has given financial support to robotics education in New Zealand schools, which will help teachers keep one step ahead of their pupils.
The American multinational technology company has given $15,000 to the Dunedin-based New Zealand Robotics Education Committee, to provide professional development opportunities to help teachers teach robotics to year 5-10 pupils.
Next month, 21 teachers from around the country will be in Dunedin to attend robotics workshops, led by University of Otago computer science lecturer Sandy Garner.
They will be taught to use the Lego EV3 brick and the Lego Education EV3 software to its full potential.
New Zealand Robotics Education marketing and media manager Casey Jenkins said in many schools, the pupils knew more about robotics than the teachers.
''We've found that in schools where there's been a teacher who is really passionate about robotics, there's been great success in the uptake from students.
''But if the schools don't have that teacher who knows what they're doing or has that passion for it, then it's a lot harder to get children involved.
''That's why we're starting at the source - the teachers.''
Mrs Jenkins was delighted with the grant because it was very rare for Google to give funding in New Zealand.
