Latest update September 15th, 2026 10:20 AM
Zeeburg cops top spot in Sagicore Visionaries Challenge
Although it was the Zeeburg Secondary School carting off the coveted top prizes, all of the schools participating in the Sagicore Visionaries Challenge were declared winners yesterday when the national leg of the competition came to an end at the Kingston, Georgetown, Umana Yana venue.
The elated Zeeburg Secondary School students pose with their winning project.
However, the emotional responses to the result of the competition, which was intended to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) as a means of ensuring that the future is sustainable, were not all the same.
Both students and teachers of the winning school were overwhelmed when the announcement was made by chairperson of the proceedings, Michella Abraham-Alli. And understandable were their responses since they are now eligible for a seven-day, all expense paid STEM Ambassador Programme trip to Florida, United States, from July 20.
The Zeeburg Secondary School will also be the recipient of US$5,000, a Challenge trophy, certificate and six CXC approved Science kits. That school presented the use of a Shrimp Dryer to reduce air pollution.
Claiming the second place in the competition was President’s College with a Biogas Generation project which utilised farm and kitchen waste – a clean source of fuel and electricity. Skeldon Line Path Secondary secured the third place with its water filtration and purification system project.
All participating schools were presented with certificates of participation but a few were awarded additional accolades for their outstanding efforts.
Duly rewarded for best presentations were Anna Regina, President’s College and Zeeburg. The schools with projects which applied the best use of STEM were again President’s College and Zeeburg as well as Skeldon Line Path and Tagore Memorial Secondary.
It was however President’s College alone being awarded for the best plan and project design. Champion school, Zeeburg, again coveted the most creative and innovative presentation.
St Ignatius’s ‘Self sustainable water supply’ was duly awarded for the project that was most relevant to the Caribbean Communities.
A total of 32 projects from 19 secondary schools were submitted for the competition and according to Sagicore’s Financial Officer, Mr Richard Kellman, these represented the highest number of projects across the 12 territories in which the competition has been introduced.
Sagicore’s Richard Kellman congratulates students from the winning school.
“That is a tremendous achievement…32 projects and not just from one region, not just from Georgetown or from the prestige schools; this has been spread right across the length and breadth of Guyana, so that from many different regions, from the Rupununi…from St Ignatius School all the way back up to the Coast, we have had representation,.” announced Kellman.
Yesterday’s judging marked the first round in the competition and according to him it will move next Friday to Trinidad then to Barbados. This will lead up to the national finals on November 16, 2013.
According to the local Chief Education Officer, Olato Sam, the Ministry of Education has been pleased to support the competition, which according to him, is both a timely and important initiative.
He lauded all those who played vital roles in ensuring that the competition was realised even as he extended his appreciation to Dr Maya Trotz, who he noted, had singlehandedly orchestrated “our involvement…I encourage her to continue to support us in our efforts in this regard.” Dr Trotz, a former Queen’s College student, was in attendance yesterday and offered a review of the judging process.
Also among those applauded for their contribution was the Ministry’s Science Coordinator, Ms Petal Jetoo, who the CEO asserted “tirelessly pushed and went beyond the call of duty to make this happen.”
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