​Macmillan Education Caribbean has announced the winners of the 2024-25 Young Environmental Scientists (YES) Competition, celebrating the ingenuity of students across the region in tackling sustainability challenges. Inspired by Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, the competition encouraged young minds to develop practical solutions that address environmental issues within their communities.

This year’s competition saw strong participation from schools across the Caribbean, with students from Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, and Guyana earning top honors.

The Primary Category, which challenged students to create a useful object from waste materials, saw TML Super Planters from TML Primary School, Trinidad & Tobago, take first place with their self-watering planter made from repurposed wood, plastic bottles, a hose, and a bucket to grow Chocolate Mint.

 Anchovy Innovators from Anchovy Primary, Jamaica, secured second place with a flood debris collection device, designed using an old fan cover, mesh, and wheels.

In the Secondary Category, where students were tasked with designing and testing an idea for a sustainable town, Environmental Guardians from Queen’s College, Guyana, won first place with a lampshade model that illuminates roads without contributing to light pollution affecting bats and surrounding ecosystems. 

Ravens Builders from St. Jago High School, Jamaica, placed second with their experiment exploring the potential of recycled CDs and DVDs to generate solar energy as an alternative power source.

Dr. Aldrin E. Sweeney, a competition judge from Barbados, praised the participants for their inventive approach to problem-solving: “I was quite impressed with the ingenuity and creativity of many of these projects. Several of the projects could well be extended into prototypes for serious consideration by various countries in the Caribbean.”

Now in its second year, the YES Competition continues to foster a culture of innovation and environmental awareness among young Caribbean students.

Last year’s winners from Trinidad & Tobago set the bar high with their sustainable solutions, and this year’s entries have further demonstrated the region’s potential for driving environmental change through youth-led initiatives.

Macmillan Education Caribbean will be sharing a video showcasing highlights from the competition, including footage of the winning projects, on its website and social media platforms.

In the coming months, the winning teams will be presented with their prizes, which include educational equipment for their schools and an interactive workshop for their class, aimed at furthering their knowledge and passion for sustainability.

For more information on the Young Environmental Scientists Competition and to stay updated on future initiatives, visit www.macmillan-caribbean.com or follow Macmillan Education Caribbean on social media.