SVG wins gold and bronze at Caribbean STEM Olympiad

The pair of Khamala Mars and Nya Scott won gold for St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) as they competed in level II of the Computer Coding segment of the 2025 Caribbean STEM Olympiad. LeBern Matthews copped a bronze medal, also in Level II of the Computer Coding Olympiad which was held from January 13-19, 2025.

Mars and Scott of team “KarifKoders” tackled the challenge of cultural preservation with their project “GariGuru” which was an interactive game designed to teach primary school children in St Vincent and the Grenadines the basics of the Garifuna language. They are 2024 graduates of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Community College (SVGCC).

Matthews, a second year student of the College, earned bronze for his hurricane preparedness App, “Lookout”, which was designed to work both with or without internet connectivity to provide emergency contacts and essentials needed during a hurricane.

This was the third annual STEM Olympiad held by the Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF), a release from the Foundation states. It was done virtually.

In these Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Olympiads, individuals and teams representing educational institutions or themselves competed in Math, Computer Coding, and Robotics & Electronics Systems Olympiads at three different age levels: (12 – 15, 16 – 18 and 19 – 21).

In the competitions, the focus was on rewarding inventiveness, as well as critical, logical and analytical thinking. In particular, the Math Olympiad was held in a Jeopardy-style format and covered the fundamentals in topics ranging from consumer arithmetic to vector calculus. The Computer Coding Olympiad tasked applicants with creating apps, games, and websites aimed at solving a challenge faced by Caribbean communities. The challenges tackled by teams in the 2025 Olympiads included geo-hazards and climate change, cultural preservation, conservation science and ecology, inter and intra country transportation, food safety and security, safe after-hours transport for women and youth, and financial education.

The Robotics & Electronics Systems Olympiad tasked the Level I applicants with building innovative systems from kits, whereas the Level III robotics and electronics systems teams were required to design and assemble their robots starting from the basic-components level.

A total of 264 students from nine Caribbean countries registered for the 2025 Olympiads, making it the highest registration to date. After the preliminary rounds, 41 teams (98 students), made it to the finals. There were 34 finalists in the Math Olympiad, 39 in the Computer Coding Olympiad, and 25 in the Robotics & Electronics Systems Olympiad.

Medal certificates and cash prizes of US$500, $400, $300 and $200 were awarded to teams winning platinum, gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. The medals and awards ceremony, held on Sunday, January 19, 2025, revealed that Jamaica led the medal count with 10 medals, followed by Belize and Guyana with 4 each, and Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago with two each.

Professor Cardinal Warde, the Interim Executive Director of the CSF said, “I am impressed by the level of achievement of the participants. However, it is clear that the CSF needs to do more to enhance the quantity and quality of robotics and embedded systems in the Region.” To aid those Robotics and Electronics Systems teams that start early in preparation for the 2026 Olympiads, CSF quoted Professor Warde in the release as saying that they will issue a call for proposals to assist the teams in covering the upfront costs of components.

The competing students also had a lot to say. Gold medalist Nya Scott of “KarifKoders” said, “We both wanted to thank the CSF and sponsors for organizing these Olympiads and creating this opportunity for young people in the Caribbean to explore STEM. Participating has improved our coding skills and critical thinking skills, but it has also allowed us to tackle real world issues affecting our country and Region.”

LeBern Matthews who won a bronze medal stated, “I really appreciate the judges. With the judging, it helped me see my shortcomings and where I can improve, and that sort of input is very, very special to me so I can improve and grow.”

The Institutional sponsors included CIBC Caribbean, Emera Caribbean, Peloton International, Sandals Foundation, and the U.S. Embassy in Barbados, the Eastern Caribbean and the OECS. The CSF is a regional, non-profit NGO with the mission of assisting with the development and diversification of the economies of the Caribbean Region by promoting STEM education reform and stimulating technology-based entrepreneurship.