Macmillan Education Caribbean Announces Winners of 2024-25 Young Environmental Scientists Competition

Macmillan Education Caribbean has announced the winners of the 2024-25 Young Environmental Scientists (YES) Competition, which celebrates the innovative solutions developed by students across the Caribbean to tackle sustainability issues. Inspired by Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), the competition encouraged participants to devise creative strategies for addressing environmental challenges within their own communities.

This year’s competition witnessed enthusiastic participation from schools throughout the region, with top accolades going to students from Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, and Guyana. In the Primary Category, which challenged students to create practical items from waste materials, the TML Super Planters from TML Primary School in Trinidad & Tobago secured first place with their ingenious self-watering planter made from recycled wood, plastic bottles, a hose, and a bucket, designed for growing Chocolate Mint. The Anchovy Innovators from Anchovy Primary in Jamaica earned the second spot with their innovative flood debris collection device fashioned from an old fan cover, mesh, and wheels.

In the Secondary Category, participants focused on designing and testing sustainable town concepts. The first-place award was given to the Environmental Guardians from Queen’s College in Guyana for their remarkable lampshade model that lights up roads without adding to light pollution, protecting local bat populations and other ecosystems. Second place went to Ravens Builders from St. Jago High School in Jamaica for their project exploring the use of recycled CDs and DVDs to produce solar energy as a viable alternative power source.

Dr. Aldrin E. Sweeney, a judge for the competition from Barbados, praised the students for their creativity and problem-solving abilities: “I was truly impressed by the ingenuity and creativity of many of these projects. Several of the concepts have the potential to evolve into prototypes that could be considered for implementation across various Caribbean nations.”

In its second year, the YES Competition continues to inspire and foster environmental consciousness and innovation among young students in the Caribbean. The projects showcased this year highlight the increasing capacity of the region’s youth to lead sustainable change through their ideas and initiatives.

Macmillan Education Caribbean will feature highlights from the competition, including the winning projects, in a video available on its website and social media channels. The winning teams will soon receive awards, including educational equipment for their schools and an interactive workshop aimed at further enhancing their knowledge and enthusiasm for sustainability.

For more details about the Young Environmental Scientists Competition, visit www.macmillan-caribbean.com or follow Macmillan Education Caribbean on social media for updates on upcoming initiatives.