An eight-week Artificial Intelligence (AI) programme for students wrapped up on Monday and a team from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) clinched the prize for the most inspirational leadership presentation.
A press release from the Ministry of Education [MoE] said that the Spark Programme ran on two tracks, one that focused on developing leadership and innovative mindsets, while the other exposed students to AI technology and coding.
The programme constituted a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, the LEAD Mindset, JASECI Labs and BCS Technology.
The MoE quoted founder of the LEAD Mindset, Denise Hilliman as saying that the Spark Programme is in the business of digital transformation through education innovation and more importantly, changing leadership mindsets as a means of making the art of innovation sustainable and accessible to all.
Hilliman noted that the world is changing, and technology is greatly accelerating those changes. Referencing the widening skills gap between the users of technology and the creators of technology, Hilliman said that such gaps are what justified rolling out the Spark Programme. She said that following engagements with Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, three objectives were highlighted for the programme: equipping young people with the skills to leverage technology to spark innovation and economic opportunities, equipping young people with the leadership mindset to think outside the box and finally, to catalyze the Region economically by capturing and scaling locally sourced innovative ideas globally.
Director of the National Centre for Educational Research Development (NCERD), Quenita Walrond-Lewis also encouraged the participants to approach the future with a view where they can utilize their skills to become job creators and to change their generational trajectory.
“The kind of knowledge and competencies you would have learnt through this programme will shift your generational trajectory for those who will come after you. This will be a pathway to cycles of poverty being broken,” the release quoted her as saying.
Meanwhile, General Manager and Director of Business Development of BCS Technology, Francis Cumberbatch stated that the vision of the partners to invest in youths of Guyana is still alive. He said that it is important for Guyanese in the diaspora to return to the country and invest in its youth population so that they can be equipped to develop Guyana. Each of the partners sponsored various prizes, some of which were awarded yesterday.
Under the Leadership in Education (LEAD Mindset), the most inspirational leadership presentation prize of US$150 was awarded to a team of CPCE Students, Crystal Cramer, Joel Bunbury, Tagedevi Roopnarine, Deborah Darlington, Crystal Johnson, Grace Hutson, Junita Rampersaud. The CPCE students were also awarded the prize for the most dedicated team on the leadership track.
The US$50 prize for the most passionate student on the leadership track was awarded to Sarvesh Tahal of the New Amsterdam Secondary School. The most outstanding student on the leadership track was awarded to Grace Hutson of CPCE who was given a laptop computer. The most promising influencer prize was awarded to Othniel Anthony of the Government Technical Institute and the best innovative AI project prize was awarded to the CPCE team for their ‘Home Work Helpers’ project. The release said that the most dedicated student prize was awarded to Tyrese Edwards of the Anna Regina Secondary School. The remaining prizes that will be announced subsequently are for the best student on the AI track, the project that best leverages the JASECI Kit, the project with the highest commercialization potential and the prize for the project with the most intricate implementation.
The Spark programme is a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, the LEAD Mindset, JASECI Labs and BCS Technology.
