Guyanese participation in Caribbean science and engineering competition surpasses expectations

Guyanese students will be given an opportunity to highlight their innovative nature and grasp of science, technology, engineering and mathematics at a competition being pulled off by Sagicor Group of Companies of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Regional Challenge targets secondary school students who must propose an idea using Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to make their school and/or community more sustainable. Sagicor, the Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF) and the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) strongly believe that innovation in STEM must play a crucial role in overcoming the challenges to building successful sustainable communities.

This competition – the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge – will see a national event held on March 16 in Guyana and followed by a Regional Competition which will include the winners from the Caribbean territories; all of whom will meet in Barbados in mid – April.

The organisers have indicated that the entries received from Guyana, in relation to the rest of the Caribbean, exceed expectations. Some of the ideas already submitted look at the reduced use of plastic bottled water in schools, creation of an E-Library to improve access to learning resources in the school, use of plastic bottles to build a green house, creation of green-spaces to keep the school’s environment cool and beautiful and the use of garbage to improve numeracy and literacy skills through the creation of teaching and learning aids.

Manager- Corporate Communications, Sagicor Life Inc., Marlene Chin and National Science Coordinator and Country Representative for the Caribbean Science Foundation, Petal Jetoo.

Schools that apply to participate in the competition are twinned with a science mentor. Local schools have already been twinned with mentors as far as South Africa and the USA, and locally Mr. Philip Da Silva-the Acting director of the Berbice Campus is also functioning as a mentor.

Petal Jetoo, Science Coordinator, Ministry of Education- NCERD and recently appointed Country Representative for the Caribbean Science Foundation noted that students are very excited in the way they approach the challenge.  “Initially we have a problem where students cannot match what they learn in the classroom in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to what is happening in their environment and the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge helps them to do just that,” she said.

Jetoo emphasised that this is one area that is vey good for the Ministry of Education and for CSF. “Because we want more of our students to embrace science, but to also do well in it… the Caribbean wants a leader in STEM education… we want to hold that place once again and keep it as our pride,” she stressed.

Marlene Chin, Manager, Corporate Communications, Sagicor Life Inc., explained that the challenge has its genesis in a STEM awareness campaign that the stakeholders have identified as problematic hence the  need was clear for an increase in the awareness, excitement and support for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

“We have seen a decline in students participating and writing the CXC examination as well as the quality of our grades… the Caribbean wants a leader in education and the quality of passes is on the decline” She noted. In recognition of this strategic thinkers have identified STEM and an awareness campaign as one that is critical to taking the Caribbean Region back to where the education systems needs to be.

The Sagicor Visionaries Challenge uses STEM in a manner that will allow students to draw on their learning from Science, technology, engineering and math to solve problems that is within their community all contributing to a sustainable society.

Chin emphasied that Dr. Didacus Jules, CEO and Registrar, has continuously expressed passion about the transformation of the Caribbean’s education system by making the approach to teaching/learning relevant and current. He believes that this STEM oriented challenge uses the CXC syllabus in a creative and exciting way that allows teachers and students to not just see science, technology, engineering and mathematics as school subjects, but feeds a new perspective and way of life.

Sagicor is working with some key partners including the Caribbean Science Foundation which is headed by Professor Cardinal Warde who is one of the world’s leaders on optical information processing and Dr. Maya Trotz, a Guyanese, who is an Associate Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida.