The group of boys stood in a semicircle around Back2Back staff and a visiting mission team. They listened raptly to instructions being given. “You’re going to break into teams and will have ten minutes to make full-body robot costumes for a minimum of three people on their team,” David Cobos, Back2Back staff, instructed. “Your robot suits will have to allow you to move up and down while doing ten squats without parts falling off, be flexible enough to withstand ten pushups without parts falling off, and withstand the force of gravity for ten jumps during a jump rope competition without parts falling off. The team whose robot costume remains the most intact after all three challenges wins! Are you all ready?!” His question was answered with a roar of excitement as the teams got to work.
A partnering children’s home in Monterrey is a safe haven for young men and is unique in their approach to special programs and extracurricular activities. A few years ago, a staff member at the home opened a Maker Space, where a robotics program for the kids is run. The young men learn how to build and program robots, how to run them self-sufficiently or control them with a smart device, how to wire circuit boards, and how to solder wiring together correctly. This allows them to think like engineers and understand the sky’s the limit for their own potential.
For the Robotics day on campus, David got 40 large cardboard boxes, masking tape, and string to help build their robots. Once he gave the instructions and teams were separated, the boys and visiting guests jumped into the activity with fervor. “It didn’t matter what language anyone spoke or understood,” shared David. “They jumped in with their full hearts, many using the tape to heavily reinforce the costumes, while others used interlocking techniques to give their costume a natural bend. Some groups created hats, masks, and swords, and they all hoped for the best results.”
Once the building portion of the contest was complete, the teams performed each of the three tasks explained at the beginning of the competition. By the third event for the teams, everyone was laughing and having so much fun, it was clear everyone had won, because they spent the day working together and connecting.
This is the power of play with a purpose at each of Back2Back’s sites. Children and youth learn how to work alongside their peers as a team, they connect with safe adults and visitors who truly want the best for them, and their creativity and critical thinking are engaged and challenged. Together, adults and children from different countries and cultures found common ground and, through play, also found healing.
