CEIS Looking to Raise $6 Million for Student Energy Competition
By: , August 16, 2016The Key Point:
Photo: Mark Bell
Executive Director, Scientific Research Council (SRC), Dr. Cliff Riley (3rd right), accepts a cheque for $170,000 from NCB Matilda’s Corner Branch Manager, Dave Wilson (4th left), at the SRC’s Hope Road Office on August 10. The funds will go towards expanding the ‘Energy For Young Minds’ (EFYM) programme of the SRC’s Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS) Department. Others pictured (from left) are Team Leader for the CEIS, Curtis Deenah; Manager for the Information Services Division at the SRC, Kerry-Ann Curtis; Technical Information Officer, CEIS, Carol Davis; Kingston High School student, Alethia Thompson; Ardenne High School students Nicholi Bogues and Fabrizio Darby; and St. Hugh’s High School student, Oshen Constable.The Facts
- Team Leader for the CEIS, Curtis Deenah told JIS News that the department is seeking partnership and support to implement the competition dubbed ‘Caribsec’ over the next year.
- The CEIS, which is based at the SRC, is a regional energy network that spans 19 Caribbean countries.
The Full Story
The Caribbean Energy Information Systems (CEIS) is looking to raise $6 million to roll out the competition component of the Energy for Young Minds (EFYM) programme.
EFYM is an energy awareness and education programme for secondary-school students. It aims to inform and educate them on energy-related topics, prepare them for examinations and challenge them to make energy innovations.
It comprises three components – an online platform, which offers content for the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) syllabi; Energy in Action, which enables students to visit various entities to observe renewable energy projects; and an energy competition among schools.
Team Leader for the CEIS, Curtis Deenah told JIS News that the department is seeking partnership and support to implement the competition dubbed ‘Caribsec’ over the next year.
He said the department wants to provide tangible prizes, such as energy-efficient or renewable-energy equipment.
“We are appealing to the private-sector entities in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean to assist with support to be able to facilitate the full roll-out,” he said.
Mr. Deenah was speaking to JIS News at a ceremony held recently at the Scientific Research Council’s (SRC) Old Hope Road office where the National Commercial Bank (NCB) Foundation handed over $170,000 to support the EFYM.
In addition to NCB, other entities have contributed to the programme, such as Atlantic LNG in Trinidad and Tobago, and Rubis.
Executive Director of the SRC, Dr. Cliff Riley, said the competition “will stimulate the youth and get them involved in coming up with sustainable solutions to our energy crisis”.
He noted that “as a country we need to reduce our energy consumption and improve our economy through the involvement of our youth”.
The CEIS, which is based at the SRC, is a regional energy network that spans 19 Caribbean countries.
It coordinates the gathering and dissemination of energy information to guide policy decisions, create awareness as it relates to the sustainable use of energy, and to stimulate conservation.