Regional Science Fair in Georgetown kicks off

The Education Ministry’s Regional Science Fair is back after like several other activities it was put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic .

The Education Department Georgetown’s Regional Science Fair 2023 on Monday was declared open by Education Minister, Priya Manickchand. It is being hosted over the next three days in the Queen’s College compound “Transforming Education Through Innovation and STEAM,” is the theme for this year’s event.

Manickchand in delivering remarks pointed out that Guyana is on the cusp of development. As such, ensuring that the country’s population grows with it remains a priority. She explained that the STEAM fair provides students with a platform to not only be creative but mould their minds to become critical thinkers to make meaningful contributions in the future.

“These practical exercises are not gimmicks for us. For us in Education, we are asking and challenging our children to identify problems and innovate solutions for those problems. These activities are meant to pursue, augment, and complement the work in our curriculum,” she said.

The education minister pointed out that every region across Guyana will host a STEAM fair leading up to the National Science, Technology Engineering, Arts and Mathematics Fair which is scheduled to be hosted later this year.

Principal Chief Education Officer, Mr Immanuel Bridgewater noted that there are five categories of participants. These are from the Nursery Schools, Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, Practical Instruction Centres and Observer Groups. There are a total of 85 projects being displayed as part of the exhibition.

“From the projects that are here, we have seen evidence of our children using their imagination, creativity and knowledge of science, and what is happening in the environment to bring to life those experiences that can make the lives of all those individuals living in those communities better,” he said.

Bridgewater disclosed that science in the broadest sense refers to any system of knowledge which attempts to model reality. As such, this year, the National Science, Technology Engineering, Arts and Mathematics Fair will not be limited to traditional sciences such as Chemistry and Physics but will also accommodate areas such as Social and Behavioural Sciences and Home Economics.