Guy’s Hill High School Wins Climate Smart Technology Competition

Guy’s Hill High School in St. Catherine has emerged winner of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs Climate Smart Technology Competition.

Herbert Morrison Technical High in St. James and Manning’s School in Westmoreland, copped the second and third places, respectively.

The teams were presented with book vouchers valued at $5,000, as well as trophies and climate change literature, during the recognition ceremony held on May 21 at the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) office in Kingston.

The initiative, which was introduced at the 4-H Clubs National Achievement Expo and Climate Smart Technology competition on April 5, seeks to educate youth on the effects of climate change and promote innovation among youth in finding solutions to adapt to the effects of climate change.

Top entries were a programmable greenhouse submitted by the winning team from Guy’s Hill High; a glass house – an alternative to the traditional greenhouse structure – by Herbert Morrison Technical; and a sustainable home equipped with greenhouse, rainwater harvesting, grey water system and a biogas digester, by Manning’s School.

Public Relations and Marketing Manager, Jamaica 4-H Clubs, Karelle McCormack, told JIS News in an interview that the initiative has unearthed innovative ideas by students, with the potential for real world application.

“The competition was done with the idea of bringing climate-smart agriculture to the fore. It is one of the main pillars the 4-H Club is concentrating on as part of our environmental awareness training exercise, in terms of how to be climate-resilient, as well as to stimulate creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship,” she said.

These models are expected to be developed to be institutionalised at the respective schools.

Meanwhile, Chairman and Director-General, PIOJ, Dr. Wayne Henry, commended the teams for their innovations.

“Climate change is upon us, and what you are showing is innovation. Here at the PIOJ, we are very pleased to be associated with this type of activity… right across the board, there is an integrated approach to all we do, and how do we build the resilience of the country, not just climate but also economic and social resilience,” he said.

“Overall, it is a thrust. We are embracing more innovation. We look at various futures for the country and how we ‘future-proof’ and prepare Jamaica for those futures,” Dr. Henry added.

The ceremony was staged by PIOJ, through its Government of Jamaica (GOJ)/Adaptation Fund Programme, in partnership with the Jamaica 4-H Clubs.