RBC asks Young Leaders for sustainability solutions

The vision of a future that promotes environmental protection, economic development and social equity is the foundation for 2025’s RBC Young Leaders competition.

Under the theme Sustainable Future, the six-week programme will require students of the 15 participating schools to develop a project to solve sustainability challenges in their school and community, using a budget of $100,000.

The top three schools will receive a combined $175,000 in prize money, with $1,000 awarded for the best presenter, most innovative project, best-written proposal and best oral presentation.

The competition will challenge the innovation and creativity of students as they present oral and written proposals to a panel of judges who will evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of their projects.

Speaking at the launch of this year's competition at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain on February 6, RBC Royal Bank TT managing director Marc Jardine explained the goals of the programme.

“We want our future to encompass a vision where society benefits from today’s actions and also allows for the future development and the future enablement of students…social equity is something that is critically important for development going forward.

“The concepts we are looking at emphasise long-term thinking, innovation, economic growth, environment health and social well-being: a harmonious mix, because the way I see it, you need money to pay bills, but you also need to live in a world that is socially balanced and environmentally secure.

“The goal is to build resilient communities and systems that can adapt to changing conditions while minimising negative impacts on the planet and its inhabitants.”

The launch also featured winners of the 2024 edition, who gave testament to the benefits of the programme.

Cindy Mungroo of Manzanilla Secondary School, who won the 2024 competition, spoke on the holistic benefits of the programme.

“Although Manzanilla was elated to have won, we focus more on the word LEARN.

“The RBC project helped us to: L – listen to others' ideas, the news, the teachers and read up more on global issues; E – enhance our teamwork and collaboration to brainstorm ideas for our project; A – pay attention to every single detail of our project; R – raise our morale, revitalise our confidence and help us become more self-reliant, because our teachers reminded us that the project was ours, and not theirs; N – nurtures self-discipline, self-determination and self-confidence that encourage accountability and skill development.

"Therefore, the word LEARN guided our experiences to be embraced, explored and expanded.”

Makailanne Dyer of Naparima Girls' High School, which won the best presenter award, said when she applied to the programme she didn’t know what to expect.

“I was passionate about creating positive change in my community, but I didn’t yet understand how to scale that vision or the steps I needed to turn my ideas into action.
"Being selected as a young leader was more than just an award, It was a catalyst for growth, connection and empowerment.

“my group members suggested many brilliant ideas, but we could only choose one. We made our decision not based on what project we thought was the easiest or the cheapest to execute, but what we found our community would ask us to do. What we thought the community had been begging for yet no one took the time to lend an ear.”

Azaria Ali of St Stephen’s College who took home the third place prize and the award of the best written presentation said her experience was nothing short of transformative.

“It was more than just a competition, it was an opportunity to harness creativity, leadership and teamwork to address real-world issues. Through the St Stephen’s College eco-aquatic aquaponic project, we learned that sustainability isn’t just a buzzword, it's a responsibility.

“The programme pushed us beyond our comfort zones, teaching us resilience, strategic thinking and the power of a well-executed vision. I now understand that leadership is not a title, but an action – one that requires patience, persistence and the ability to inspire others.”

Jerome Chambers, co-operative development co-ordinator at the Youth Development and National Service Ministry, was inspired by the speeches of the young leaders, who revived his sense of hope for the future of TT.

“One of the things that irks me is when I hear people say TT is not a real place,

“But this morning I am convinced that it is. Because we are doing great things, not just for ourselves, but for the generation that comes after. There is hope. TT is a real place.”