With song “Protect Your Life”, Stephanie Mascoll of the West St. George Secondary School took the first position in the Junior Calypso Competition held on Friday, March 12, 2010, at the Nutricia Netball Centre in Kingstown.{{more}} She was followed by Terancia Cornwall of the St. Joseph’s Convent Marriaqua singing Protect the Environment”, and Gaffiesha Smart of the Calder Government School, who placed third with her song “Put it in the Bin”. Lee Bullock of the St. Vincent Grammar School took the fourth position for his rendition “Save the Earth.”

This Junior Calypso Competition was organized by Projects Promotion Limited (PPL), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force, the International Airport Development Company (IADC), and the SVG Calypsonians’ Association, and the Carnival Development Corporation staged a Junior Calypso Competition involving primary and secondary school students across the country. The competition was held under the theme: “Our Environment, Our Development, Our Future”.

This Junior Calypso Competition was part of a project entitled “Capacity Strengthening for Community Management of Resources for Sustainable Development”, funded by the Organisation of American States (OAS). The aim of this project is to strengthen the basis for participatory and collaborative approaches to community development in the process of pursing alternative livelihoods, while addressing issues of gender, democracy and equality.

The other finalists in the competition were:

Phylicia Alexander – Intermediate High School; Kaicy Penniston – Bequia Anglican Primary School; Tara Richards- Questelles Government School; Deantai Davis – Fair Hall Government School; Renauld Soleyn – St. Vincent Grammar School; Ottis Caine – Fair Hall Government School; Cassian Lavia – Sandy Bay Secondary School; Patrick Defreitas – St. Vincent Grammar School; Shade’ Barker- St. Joseph’s Convent Kingstown; Rodwell Stewart- Union Island Secondary School and Lerreon Mapp – St. Vincent Grammar School.

Stephanie will receive $2,000 plus a note book computer for placing first; Terancia will receive $1,500 plus one note book computer; Gaffiesha will receive $1,000 plus a note book computer; while Lee will receive a note book computer for his fourth place position. Each participating school will receive $1,000 also.

All prizes will be presented at an awards wining ceremony at a later date.