The recently held third annual Caribbean Science Foundation conference (CSF) saw the raising of awareness on mechanisms to promote science in the Caribbean using Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
The conference was held two weeks ago in Guyana at the Grand Coastal Hotel, and saw a gathering of professionals from the world over to discuss and debate on how to advance science in the Caribbean to help diversify the economies of its countries.
The two-day conference held under the theme “Stimulating Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Science and Engineering”, was a collaboration among CSF, Guyana’s Education Ministry and the Caribbean Diaspora for Science, Technology and Innovation.
Networking
During the conference, collaborations and cooperation between institutions and sectors throughout the region, and networking with the Diaspora were mentioned frequently as the key to facilitate science and technology advances.
At the opening ceremony, both Guyana’s Prime Minister Samuel Hinds and Education Minister Priya Manickchand highlighted the importance of harnessing science and technology for the development of the region.
Presidential Advisor on Science and Technology Navin Chandarpal, spoke about the approval of Guyana’s national science and technology policy as a national milestone in elevating awareness of the importance of the STEM education reform.
Students and teachers from various high schools in Guyana were given the opportunity to participate in the workshop, during which students posed some of the most difficult questions to the speakers. They were also allowed to carry out experiments using microscience kits provided by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The students had nothing but praise for this hands-on learning experience.
The conference saw the featuring of CSF programmes such as the Sagicor Visionaries Challenge and the Student Programme for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE), with three local students reliving their experiences in these programmes.
Fun learning
STEM curriculum and modernisation updates, also received attention, with the primary objective of making science fun for the students.
Focus was placed too on teaching with examples drawn from local resources and needs, inquiry-based science approaches, the scientific method, and the use of digital e-learning were emphasised.
The need for more national science fairs, math Olympiads and science museums was also stressed.
One area which saw a lot of enthusiasm was the career panel, which explored a vast range of career options in the STEM disciplines for the students.
The requirements for the launch of a high-tech electronics start-up company were demystified with examples showing how, in the Internet era, the materials and components needed could be sourced worldwide from a desktop. The critical need for execution to bring ideas to fruition was emphasised.
The conference further saw the 2013 CSF Distinguished Service Awards of the University of South Florida going to overseas-based Guyanese Professor Maya Trotz and Petal Jetoo of the Education Ministry, Sagicor Financial Corporation, and Sagicor Life Caribbean.
The CSF was established in 2010 as an independent non-profit, non-governmental organisation, whose mission is to assist with the diversification of the region’s economies by promoting education reform in STEM and stimulating more technology-based entrepreneurship.
