The Minister thanked organizers, teachers, students,
parents and sponsors for ensuring that science and
technology continues to be at the forefront of the
nation’s school curriculum. Over the last few years,
she said, the Ministry has undertaken a review of the
curriculum to cater for multiple intelligences.
She
noted that such guidance becomes essential
since
there
Sponsors play a major role in ensuring that the
Science and Technology Fair remains a hit each year.
Which is why Roger Joseph, LUCELEC’s Corporate
Communications Manager, believes the electricity
company’s longtime support of the event is an almost
inevitable partnership.
He said that since LUCELEC plans and forecasts on a
long-term basis, the company views the fair similarly,
and that it’s a strong foundation for the next best
inventions. He said LUCELEC also sponsors a Saint
Lucian on a full scholarship to attend the Student
Programme for Innovation in Science and Technology
annually.
That six-week programme, which is held in Barbados
annually, assembles the Caribbean’s top science
students who get to learn advanced scientific research
and exploration techniques which they can later use
in their science and technology courses. Joseph said
many of the students have gone on to enroll at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Yale and
Harvard to pursue careers in science and technology.
“(Your projects) show that you have creativity and
are intelligent and that the science projects that
you are putting forward -- even if they might not
be the finished products -- are the foundations to
developing and refining the next major technological
breakthrough,” Joseph told the students.
Analicia Edmunds-Auguste, Corporate Communications
Officer, Bank of Saint Lucia (BOSL), another major
sponsor, said BOSL “recognizes the importance of
science and technology in developing the disciplines
necessary to inculcate a culture of problem-solving
among our young people.”
have been instances where students’ projects were
allegedly stolen by unscrupulous people without the
students being credited for their ideas.
“By introducing the word innovation into the Ministry’s
rubric, I am committed to ensuring that we have in
place the legislation, regulations and sensitization
necessary so that we can protect young innovators,”
Dr. Rigobert said.
58 SL-YOU | Business, People & Lifestyle
She added: “We are encouraged by the number of
students who have gravitated towards the sciences.
We encourage you to continue on your path with
determination and passion. You are tasked with
the responsibility of applying science to solve
some of Saint Lucia’s challenges through research,
experimentation, analysis and problem-solving.”
Below are the results of this year’s National Schools’
Science & Technology Fair.
www.slyoumag.com | July-August 2019