National Sagicor Visionaries Challenge set for March 26

On March 26, the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge national competition will be held at the St. Vincent Girls’ High School (SVGHS), to determine a winner from St Vincent and the Grenadines, who will then compete in the regional competition in Barbados on April 12.{{more}}

The Sagicor Visionaries Challenge was conceptualised by Sagicor and the Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF), in partnership with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC). These

organisations hope to foster innovation among the scientists of tomorrow, that solves challenges faced within our local communities and the region at large. The aim of the challenge is to enable students to contribute to the establishment of sustainable Caribbean communities, through the integration and application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (S.T.E.M.).

In the 12 countries where the Challenge has been piloted, officials have received close to 170 submissions from over 100 schools.

“We are very pleased with the response from the teachers and students”, reports Tracey Knight-Lloyd, Assistant Vice-President of Marketing, Sagicor Life Inc.

”We’ve received invaluable support from the Ministry of Education from the onset of the Challenge and without their support the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge would not have been possible.”

Visiting research scientist from the University of South Florida (USF) and representative of the CSF Associate Professor Maya Trotz outlined the Challenge: “Students submitted their project ideas on our website www.sagicorvisionaries.org; they were matched with a mentor, and now they must demonstrate what their project is about and why it should win the national competition. We encourage students and members of the public to visit the GHS to view the exciting ideas which the students have worked on. We received 6 promising entries from the GHS and the Bequia Community High School.”

Prizes in the national competition include a computerized technology centre and science kits for the school and one student representative will travel with a teacher to Florida, for an all-expenses-paid S.T.E.M.-related tour. The tour includes visits to the Kennedy Space Center, the Museum of Science & Industry, Disney World’s Epcot theme park and the Patel School of Global Sustainability (USF).