The winners of the Secondary Schools Coding Competition for Climate Change were awarded their prizes at a ceremony held at Bay Gardens Hotel on Thursday, May 9, 2024.

The event was hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and sponsored by the STUF United Fund.

The competition was launched by H. E. Peter Chia-Yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, and Hon. Shawn Edward, Minister of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology, and Vocational Training, during the World Consumer Rights Day Mini-Expo held in Soufriere on Friday, March 15, 2024.

The competition featured 30 teams from 11 schools, and allowed the judges to select the top three, along with prizes for six honorable mentions. All participating teams exhibited outstanding talent, which posed a significant challenge for the judges when evaluating the entries to determine the winners.

The winners were:

• First place - Seth Pierre (St. Mary’s College) -- “OZONAI - The Ozone Protector”
• Second place - Jayden Miller-Monrose (St. Mary’s College) -- “Restore Balance”
• Third place - Christian Laurencin, Aaden Henry, and Zedekiah Lionel (Soufriere Comprehensive Secondary School) -- “Climate Challengers”

The six projects receiving honorable mentions were:

• Saachi Wadhwani (Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School) -- “Save Your Pet”
• Jaylan Orniville (Entrepot Secondary School) -- “Planet Carer”
• Matthew George, Christian Sidonie, and Jed Pierre (St. Mary’s College) -- “Climate Change Natural Solution”
• Devon Sonson (Entrepot Secondary School) -- “Lightning Catchers”
• Xavi Fontenelle (St. Mary’s College) -- “Save The Climate”
• Xavi Blanchard (Beanfield Comprehensive Secondary School) -- “Scratching Out Pollution”

The top three placers received US$500.00, US$300.00, and US$200.00 respectively, while each student who received an honorable mention received an AI Probbie Robot.

In his remarks at the awards ceremony, Ambassador Chen said the high level of competition underscored the intense effort and skills of the teams. He also extended congratulations to the nine teams whose projects stood out.

“As we know, artificial intelligence represents the future of global trends, and it is exhilarating to see Saint Lucian secondary school students engaging deeply with AI through this competition,” said Ambassador Chen. “Their involvement clearly indicates a move towards a brighter future in AI technologies of Saint Lucia. I want to thank all 30 teams for your participation, and please keep up the good work.”

Ambassador Chen extended special thanks to Hon. Minister Emma Hippolyte and Hon. Minister Shawn Edward for their outstanding leadership and unwavering support. He also expressed gratitude to the officials from the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Education, and colleagues from the Taiwan Technical Mission, whose tireless efforts made the event possible. Gratitude was also expressed to the STUF United Fund and their CEO, John Lin, for their sponsorship.

“STUF’s enthusiasm has ignited a passion for coding throughout Saint Lucia, demonstrating the remarkable synergy of people-to-people connectivity between Taiwan and Saint Lucia,” said Ambassador Chen.

Hon. Emma Hippolyte, Minister of Commerce, Manufacturing, Business Development, Cooperatives, and Consumer Affairs said the students’ full embrace of the competition was inspiring and demonstrated their enthusiasm and dedication to harness the power of technology for the greater good.

“This is a testament to your passion for creating a more sustainable future for all,” she told the students. “We appreciate your resilience throughout this process. In recent years, the need to address the issue of climate change effectively and comprehensively has become increasingly urgent. We are witnessing the devastating impacts of rising temperatures, extreme modern events, and environmental degradation on communities around the world. More now than ever, we need innovative solutions and bold action to mitigate the effects of climate change.”