Students Josh Elahie, Devonte St Louis, Kurt Wyse, Javel Alexis, Dominique Isaac and Alesia Aird from the Center for Enhancing Educational Performance (CEEP), were successful in their bid to participate in the Covid-19 Island Hack Prototype Challenge, an initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.
The #IslandHack competition seeks to identify disruptive responses to the complex problems the Eastern Caribbean faces due to Covid-19. The competition invites innovators, entrepreneurs, thinkers, dreamers, visionaries, creatives, and more to participate as the UNDP seek to find #NextGen solutions to Covid-19. The UNDP welcomed innovative ideas that fell into the categories of digitisation of fisheries, economic transformation, tourism for tomorrow, access to essential services, virtual healthcare protecting the vulnerable, mobile tracking. Participants will have access to prototype mentorship from diverse regional experts to help them with their final design.
The students submitted proposals for the development of digital interventions that will promote a “support local” agenda. The platforms, once developed, will provide an opportunity for local businesses to promote their goods and services, as Grenada grapples with a decline in economic activity caused by Covid-19.
The #IslandHack Hackathon Day of Prototyping is on 20 May 2020. Competing teams, using online channels will have 24 hours to track their design of prototypes. On 22 May 2020, they will have to submit a 5-minute #IslandHack video demonstrating the prototype created during the #IslandHack Hackathon Day of Prototyping. Winners of the competition will be announced on 28 May 2020.
Co-founder and Manager of CEEP, Johnny Calliste, quipped that “CEEP is proud that our entry proposals were selected to move through the competition. We remain enthusiastic and looking forward to winning some of the US$18,000 in prizes and the opportunity to make a difference…” He also stated that “the students are also part of CEEP’s FuturePrep project, which is funded by the UK Fund through the Skills for Youth Employment in The Caribbean (SkYe) Programme.”
CEEP is a Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) education and training centre that provides training, mentorship and development opportunities to the youth of Grenada. CEEP promotes innovation, creativity and excellence, through a curriculum that excites, engages, and enriches young innovators through a hands-on and learn-by-doing approach. CEEP’s vision is to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders in Grenada by developing a passion for STEM careers.
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