(MIST)

The Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF) in collaboration with the Barbados Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology (MIST) will be holding the inaugural National Maths Olympiads as part of the regional Caribbean STEM Olympiads (CSO) on January 20 – 22, 2023.

The STEM Olympiads is an annual set of regional STEM competitions aimed at helping to raise the standards of STEM education in the region while promoting science popularisation. Principals and teachers in the English-Speaking Caribbean are encouraged to send teams of students to compete in the Olympiads. Individual competitors may also apply.

Just as we celebrate our outstanding athletes during the inter-school and regional CARIFTA athletic championships, our aim is to do likewise to showcase, celebrate and encourage our young mathematicians and scientists.

As Professor Cardinal Warde, the Interim Director of the CSF has stated, “Science popularisation initiatives are one of the most effective methods of engaging parents, students, teachers, and the public in STEM. The Caribbean STEM Olympiads is one of the projects of the CSF that aims to fulfill the commitment of enhancing the quality of secondary and tertiary science education in the region while creating a technology-savvy workforce.”

In a similar vein, Charles Cyrus, Director Science, Market Research and Innovation in MIST, made it clear that “MIST has a mandate to promote science and innovation in the public sector, schools and in the wider society and to champion innovation and scientific inquiry. Therefore, this mutually beneficial partnership will see the promotion of science in the areas of mathematics, coding and robotics among our schools and tertiary educational institutions and will also benefit individuals with an interest in these disciplines.”

The events of the 2023 STEM Olympiads include:

  1. Math Olympiads – In-Person in Barbados, and virtual in other Caribbean countries.
  2. CSF Computer Coding Games – Apps, websites and games aimed at solving one of the challenges faced by Caribbean communities.
  3. Robotics Showcase – An event showcasing the achievements of our young scientists who have developed varying levels of skills from the assembly of robots from kits to the development of robots from scratch.

In these STEM Olympiads, teams from secondary and tertiary educational institutions (or home schooled) compete in several game components at three different age levels:

  • Level I for students 12 – 14 years of age
  • Level II for students 15 – 17 years of age
  • Level III for students 18 – 21 years of age

For more information on the Caribbean STEM Olympiads (CSO), including application forms, please visit the CSO webpage or contact the CSF by email at: csfhdq@gmail.com.  You can also find the CSF on social media at: Instagram: @caribbeanscience or Facebook: @CaribbeanScienceFoundation.

Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology

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