SRC Moves to Increase Awareness of Science and Technology

The Scientific Research Council (SRC), during the last fiscal year, undertook a number of initiatives to increase awareness of the importance of Science and Technology (S&T) through school-based projects, publications, exhibitions, discussions, and activities for S&T month in November.
As set out in a Ministry Paper that was tabled in the House of Representatives recently by Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Karl Samuda, presentations were delivered at Seaward Primary and Junior High in Kingston and Port Henderson Primary School in St. Catherine. Also, science educators participated in an online workshop hosted by the World Agro-forestry Centre.
The SRC facilitated the participation of five senior high school students and a teacher at the sixth form level in the annual Caribbean Youth Science Forum held in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, two Schools Science and Technology Societies (SSTS) meetings were held, in an effort to determine the status of societies and to address problems being faced. An SSTS was launched at Our Lady of the Angel’s Preparatory School in Kingston on June 5.
Moreover, the SRC participated in a School-Based Assessment (SBA) workshop for science teachers at the Jose Marti Technical High School in St. Catherine. The objectives of the workshop were to assist teachers with challenging areas of the syllabus and to provide tips for better delivery of information to students.
Furthermore, the SRC held a career expo at the Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville; co-ordinated a tour of the Tissue Culture Unit by 16 students from Vere Technical High School in Clarendon and facilitated a tour of the Natural Products facility by University of the West Indies students. It also oversaw the construction of a biodigester wastewater treatment system at Alston High School in Manchester.
The SRC, during the review period, successfully staged a poster exhibition in Gayle, St. Mary and participated in two external exhibitions, one at Ebony Park in Clarendon and the other at the offices of the Rural Agricultural Development Authority in St. Thomas.
Additionally, two public fora entitled: ‘Invention/Innovations, Patents and Prosperity’ were held in St. Mary in May and November and a cyber centre comprising three computer systems and a printer, was also opened at the SRC. The centre, donated by the Ministry, primarily serves members of the Inventors/Innovators Association.
For the 10th successive year, the month of November was celebrated as S&T Month. The events included: a proclamation ceremony hosted at King’s House; presentation of awards to the 2007 Young Scientist/Technologist and the Top Achievers in the CSEC/CXC and CAPE examinations; Inventors/Innovators Association exposition; public lecture; island-wide schools’ oratorical competition; an annual conference on S&T; and an exposition and a keynote address by Professor Bertram Frasier-Reid, Noble prize nominee and Gold Musgrave awardee.