Environmental awareness and preservation took centre stage as students from across the North and South Eastern Education Districts who participated in the bpTT 2014 Schools' Environmental Awareness Competition were honoured at the prize distribution ceremony at the Mayaro Resource Centre recently.
It was an especially triumphant occasion for SWAHA Hindu College student, Monifa Armstrong, who came first in the senior categories of both the art and essay divisions and led her team to second place in the debate finals, a release said.Started in 2006, the highly-successful competition is endorsed by the Ministry of Education and organised by Mayaro-based environmental NGO, the Black Deer Foundation.
It is one of the benchmark projects facilitated by energy company, BP Trinidad and Tobago.The completion of the 2014 competition was unavoidably delayed due to the damage to the Manzanilla-Mayaro Road last November.Ronda Francis, corporate responsibility manager, bpTT, was encouraged by the level of participation from schools.
"This competition is important to bpTT because it merges environmental awareness with the development of our young people."They have excelled in every aspect of the competition and their brilliance is encouraging, both for the future of the environment, as well as for our nation itself."From critical research and analysis to the highest expressions of artistic creativity, they have cast a searching spotlight on environmental awareness, and on themselves, as future leaders."
The theme for the 2014 competition was Creating a Symbiotic Relationship with the Environment, with judging in three categories: Essay Writing; Art/Poster and Debating.The 2014 competition saw participation from 40 schools that submitted 150 essays and 240 pieces of artwork, with eight schools participating in the debating component.
Results
Results of the 2014 BP Trinidad and Tobago Schools' Environmental Awareness Competition:
�2 Art/Poster
7��9 age group winner
Jonathan Mohammed,
North Oropouche RC Primary School
10��12 age group winner
Vritti Ramnarine, Swaha Hindu College
13�15 Age Group Winner
Shinika Castillo,
Tableland Secondary School
16�18 age group winner
Monifa Armstrong,
SWAHA Hindu College
�2 Essay Writing
10�12 age group winner
Brianna Forbes,
Mayaro Government Primary School
13�15 age group winner
Sanelle Chote, St Stephen's College
16�18 age group winner
Monifa Armstrong,
Swaha Hindu College
�2 Debating Finals
1st Place Mayaro Secondary School
2nd Place SWAHA Hindu College
3rd Place St Stephen's College
4th Place Coryal Secondary School