TECHNOLOGY, TEACHING & LEARNING
Nurturing Young Scientific Minds
by Carol Williliams
The Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF) has played a pivotal role in moulding hundreds of young minds in the areas of science and technology over the past decade. Its efforts continue to bear fruit with a number of its graduates gaining entry into some of the world’s top universities and going on to achieve professional success.
I t is a labour of love for Interim Executive Director Professor Cardinal Warde of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) who has been a driving force behind the non-profit that was launched in 2010 and is based at the Cave Hill campus. “All we’re trying to do is to help the region move forward with education reform so that people are more competitive in finding jobs here or overseas, and [to help] young students to be competitive if they want to enter the top universities or wherever they want to go,” the Professor of Electrical Engineering explained. Professor Warde, a Barbadian, is an award-winning physicist, entrepreneur, and inventor. He has received numerous accolades, including the Companion of Honour Award from the Government of Barbados and an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill. Professor Warde’s vision to foster a culture of science and technology in the region is shared by Dr. Dinah Sah , the
programmes,” the biotechnology executive and inventor said. To achieve its vision, the CSF stages four major initiatives annually: the Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE) , the Barbados Junior Robotics Camp (BJRC) , the Caribbean STEM Olympiads that were held for the first time in January 2023, and Computer Coding Workshops . In the 2023 edition of its
Executive Director of the Caribbean Science Foundation, Prof. Cardinal Warde (left) and Co-Executive Director Dr. Dinah Shah
flagship programme, SPISE , students from across the region showed they were not only aware of some of the major issues facing the Caribbean but had thought of possible solutions, albeit theoretically. On completion of the five-week programme, the 16 to 18-year-old participants designed businesses centred on climate change, the Sargassum seaweed challenge, clean energy, and non-communicable diseases. Using what they learnt about entrepreneurship, they presented business
Co-Executive Director of the CSF, and a business executive. “The economies in the region are heavily reliant on tourism, and we saw how COVID-19 affected tourism; so science and technology would be a fantastic economic pillar to grow in the Caribbean [to increase resilience]. It can be harnessed for high- tech jobs and to create technology-based companies. We believe that it’s critical to promote science and technology through STEM education, hence these
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