| By Enid JoaquinThree schools on Friday copped US$1,000 each and other attractive prizes as theRegion Ten students display their trophies.National Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fair, hosted by Education District Ten concluded. The prizes, compliments of the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge, which simultaneously hosted its fair at the same venue, were presented by President David Granger, who travelled to the mining Town of Linden especially for the event.The Head of State also delivered the feature address.The schools, all secondary institutions,China NFL Jerseys, receiving the top awards and trophies were Bygeval, Abramsville and Uitvlugt.The National winner was Bygeval Secondary from Region five, with their project “the eradicator”, which was the name given to their version of the mosquito coil.Bygeval is ranked an A-list school and had won the regional Fair in the Environmental Science category.The school will receive a Caribbean Science Foundation, computerized mobile science and technology centre, six CXC-approved Science kits, a challenge trophy,Wholesale Stitched NFL Jerseys, an award certificate and US$1,000.Each member of the team also won for themselves a camera, and Samsung smart watch, while the supervising teacher won a Kindle Fire tablet.Overall Winners – Bygeval Secondary SchoolThe team leader and supervising teacher will also enjoy an all-expenses paid seven-day STEM ambassadors programme in Florida in July of this year. That person will be representing the country at the regional level where they will be afforded the opportunity to win for their school up to US$5000.Abramsville Secondary, with their project Vermicompost Factory, copped the first runner-up prize. That includes a Caribbean Science Foundation computerized mobile science and technology centre, four CXC-approved science kits, a certificate and US$1,000.The school receiving the second runner-up award will receive a certificate and ten CXC-approved Science kits and US$1,000.Students of Uitvlugt Secondary were the proud recipients of that award with their project, making tableware from Bagasse – supporting the ban on Styrofoam in Guyana.Marlene Chin of Sagicor Visionairies, who sponsored the winners’ gifts, thanked and applauded the schools for their participation and their creativity.The Divisional winners were Cotton Tree Primary from Region Five, Novar Secondary also from Region Five and the New Silvercity Secondary and One Mile Primary from Region Ten.Winners from Uitvlugt Secondary pose with the President Granger after receiving their first prize in the lower division for their project – making tableware from bagasse.Uitvlugt Secondary from Region five gained the top position for Environmental Science in the lower Secondary Division, while President’s College in Region four was awarded the second spot and Lower Corentyne Secondary in Region six copped the third position.Mackenzie High in Region Ten copped the first position in the sixth form open, while the New Silvercity Secondary was awarded first prize for upper secondary, with Bishops’ High in the second place and Rosignol Secondary in third position.In the Lower Secondary category Plaisance secured the number one spot, with New Era Academy and Harmony Secondary in the second and third places,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, respectively.In the Primary division, One Mile Primary in Region Ten was awarded first prize, while Belvedere Primary in Region Six, and St Stephens in Region four, came in second and third.MUST BE INNOVATIVEPresident David Granger in delivering the feature address, emphasized that Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) should be “embedded” at all levels of the schools’ curriculum, as Guyana’s future development depends on the application of STEM. The President applauded the organizers and the Ministry of Education, Sagicor Visionaries who sponsored most of the prizes, and the students and teachers who helped to make the fair a success.In alluding to the level of creativity exhibited at the fair the President stressed,“Guyana’s young people must be educated and encouraged to be inventive and innovative. They must be provided with the opportunities to develop practical solutions to the challenges we face, and so we encourage them to undertake studies in STEM.We need science for energy generation, for management of solid waste, and (for) creating green communities and economies. Guyana needs persons in manufacturing and mining. We need architects,Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys, construction workers to build our homes. We need medical doctors and technologists to protect us from epidemic disease, or to cure our everyday disorders. We need computer scientists to enhance our knowledge. Our needs as a nation are limitless.”“We have to become an innovative nation, and STEM is essential to innovation. We have to compete against bigger countries in the global market, and we can only compete if we can innovate. We can’t simply copy what the big boys and girls are doing, we have to be better by introducing new products,” President Granger declared.“These exhibitions of the creative genius of our students reassure us that our country’s future will be guided by a generation of fine minds, and they remind us constantly that the future of this country will be in safe hands.”President Granger posited that the fair must not be seen as an end, but as a means to an end, and a path that should be pursued beyond the classroom, as the models should be shared with the wider society.The President said that he was happy that STEM was being applied in schools, and that it should be applied at all three levels, as critical thinking is important at all these levels.“As a nation our needs are limitless and we need science for energy generation, for the management of solid waste, and creating green communities and economies. Guyana needs persons in manufacturing and mining. We need architects and construction workers to build our homes. We need medical doctors and technologists to protect us from epidemic disease, or to cure our everyday disorders. We need computer scientists to enhance our knowledge in order for us to be competitive globally,” the President stressed.The Ministry of Education’s National Science,Cheap Jerseys China, Technology,Cheap Jerseys Store, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fair and Sagicor Visionaries Challenge officially kicked off Wednesday at the Linden Foundation Secondary School.Under the theme “Enhancing traditional technology to sustain modern societies through STEM”, students from all across Guyana pulled out all the stops to showcase their creativity using disposable items such plastic bottles, coconut shells, and myriad waste materials to fashion useful items, and to produce energy.Information technology and its profound role in education was also graphically illustrated. This medium was touted as the future alternative to the chalk and talk method of teaching.The event drew students from 46 schools from across the country, and saw 116 entries.There were five divisions – Primary, Lower and Upper Secondary, Tertiary and out of school open and Sixth form open. |
