THIS July, national winners of the 2016 Sagicor Visionaries Challenge competition were treated to a week of fun learning experiences on a five-day tour of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (S.T.E.M.)-related attractions in Florida.
Teachers and student team leaders from the eight participating countries visited the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), the Kennedy Space Center and the University of South Florida.
The exciting tour provided students and teachers with a hands-on look at digital fabrication (including 3D printing), rocket engineering, renewable energy, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles while at MOSI and a tour of various equipment, vehicles and simulations at the Kennedy Space Center.
The Sagicor Visionaries Challenge requires students to work with a teacher at their institution to identify a problem facing their school or community, and using S.T.E.M., develop a solution to the problem identified. The aim of the Challenge is to ignite among youth, an interest in innovation, through S.T.E.M., to help develop the skills and knowledge needed to drive development in the Caribbean.
Anderson King, Vice President Corporate Communications & Marketing at Sagicor described the S.T.E.M. tour as a life-changing experience. “We put together an educational but fun programme for the students and teachers and each year we add new elements. In their classrooms, teachers and students experience the foundation of S.T.E.M. learning. While in Tampa, we try to give them a unique experience to bring their textbook concepts to life with new technology or experiments using simple everyday materials.”
Sagicor Visionaries Challenge National Competitions were held in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago, and Tampa, Florida.