Barbados Light & Power’s Senior Engineer Manager, Roger Beckles, along with Director, National Council on Science and Technology (Ag.), Charles Cyrus, watching intently as students from the Cuthbert Moore Primary School showcase their exhibition ‘Mr. Energy’.
Light & Power supports the ‘Future Energy Innovators’
Thu, 05/12/2016 - 12:00am
THE inaugural ‘Electricity and Renewable Energy Science Exposition’ hosted by the Media Resource Department (MRD) of the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation in partnership with the Barbados Light & Power Company, was staged recently and six schools emerged winners.
Eleven schools from across the island participated in the final judging of the competition which was held to create awareness of renewable and alternative sources of energy; to examine the benefits of the use of renewable energy and to promote teamwork in the schools and among the students.
The Daryll Jordan Secondary School emerged ‘top’ of the Secondary School Division with their innovative design for a “Fogaponic System”, which can be powered by solar energy or utilised as an indoor commodity. The winning Primary School, Cuthbert Moore Primary, displayed an excellent understanding of the principles and the value of renewable energy with their project entitled “Mr. Energy”, which sought to showcase simple ways in which renewable energy can be utilised to power basic home-made items. The other winning schools were Eagles Academy, Good Shepherd Primary, St. Leonard’s Boys’ School, and Coleridge and Parry School. These winning schools in the Primary and Secondary Divisions will showcase their displays to the wider public at the Barbados Manufacturers’ Expo (BMEX) from May 13 to 16.
Science teacher at the Daryll Jordan Secondary, Timothy Kellman, praised the initiative saying that “renewable energy is the future, and in many cases the present. The initiative has created excitement and interest for our young people who are the future generation. This in turn, transfers knowledge that will be fundamental for the progression of our country in years to come”.
According to Media Resource Officer of the Ministry of Education’s Media Resource Department, Michelle Griffith, “The competition held this year was a resounding success; the judges from Light & Power, National Council on Science and Technology (NCST) and the Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA) indicated that the exhibits on display showed tremendous potential
by all students involved. They were impressed by the thought processes and problem-solving skills in generating the projects and were overwhelmed by student responses when interacting with them. Ms. Griffith also opined that the MRD looks forward to partnering with Light & Power in the future to host another Science Exposition.”
The winning projects will be on display during the BMEX weekend, along with displays from over 20 other schools, and the public is invited to visit the booth hosted by the Ministry of Education, Science Technology and Innovation. A final prize for the most innovative design will be selected from the BMEX display and presentation. The Electricity and Renewable Energy Science Exposition represented a successful partnership between government and a private sector entity, the Barbados Light & Power Company, and it is to the benefit of the schools and students across Barbados.