Students gear up to tackle climate change

STUDENTS of primary and secondary schools in the north and south-eastern education districts are gearing up to tackle the concerns of climate change following the orientation sessionfor the 2018 bpTT environmental awareness competition which took place at the Mayaro Resource Centre, last week.

Officially starting on May 16, the theme for this year’s competition is: The Effects of Climate Change in the Caribbean. Students between the ages of seven and 18 are expected to convey the various facets of the theme as they participate in three categories: Essay Writing; Art/Cartoon and Debating.

Now in its 12th year, the competition is endorsed by the Ministry of Education and is administered by Mayaro-based non-governmental organisation, The Black Deer Foundation, and supported by energy company bpTT.

BPTT’s corporate responsibility manager, Ronda Francis, underlined the significance of the annual initiative, “This competition is unique in that it challenges students through the need for academic skills such as research, writing, presentation and communication, while at the same time allowing them to exercise their creativity and self-expression.It melds seamlessly with BPTT’s focus areas of education and the environment, ultimately encouraging the development of a cadre of empowered and environmentally conscious citizens. We are developing young people who are creating a vision for the future while at the same time protecting our environment to sustain a legacy for many generations to come.”

This year’s competition is expected to be the biggest ever with confirmed partcipation from 45 schools spanning areas such as Princes Town, Rio Claro, Barrackpore, Guayaguayare, Mayaro, Sangre Grande and Matelot.

Underscoring the value of the competition was Kevin Doman, Standard Four Teacher, St. Julien Presbyterian School, “Last year was the first year that our school participated and the energy and positivity of this competition really spread across the entire school. Now the students can’t wait to take part and show off their abilities. It goes beyond winning to the point that all the participants, including teachers, gain a deeper understanding of the environment and what we can do to make a difference.