Guyana secures bronze at 2024 Caribbean STEM Olympiads

Tejasvarun Kandavel of Queen’s College picked up a bronze medal at the Caribbean STEM Olympiads (CSO).
The Caribbean STEM Olympiads hosted by the Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF) just recently concluded, marking it the second annual Caribbean STEM Olympiads (CSO) to be held, the prestigious virtual event showcased talents from young minds in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

The Math Olympiad event, which was held between January 17 to 21, challenged participants with a range of topics, spanning consumer arithmetic to vector calculus, in an engaging Jeopardy-style format. The Computer Coding Olympiad required contestants to develop innovative apps, games, and websites aimed at addressing key challenges faced by Caribbean communities.
Individuals and teams from educational institutions and clubs across the Caribbean had the opportunity to participate in the Math Olympiad, Computer Coding Olympiad, and Robotics Olympiad at three different age levels.

According to a release on Monday from the Caribbean Science Foundation, the challenges tackled by teams in the 2024 Olympiads included geohazards and climate change, inter and intra country transportation, public health, non-communicable diseases, crime, and money movement and financial education. The Robotics Olympiad tasked applicants with building innovative robots from kits at Level I, and complex robots starting from scratch with a set of random parts at Level III.
A total of 131 students from 11 Caribbean countries registered for the event, with 39 teams (83 students) advancing to the finals.
Amidst fierce competition, standout performances were recognized with medals and cash prizes. Jamaica led the medal count with eight medals, followed by Antigua and Barbuda with six, Belize with four, and Barbados and Saint Lucia with three and two medals respectively. However, the highlight of the games was Guyana’s, Tejasvarun Kandavel who brought home a bronze medal in the Level I Computer Coding Olympiad. Tejasvarun Kandavel, a talented student from Queen’s College, impressed the judges with his video game “Adventuring Climate Change,” which aimed to raise awareness about climate change.

Guyana also achieved two finalist positions in the Olympiads, as 12-year-old Temidara Oyedotun from School of the Nations competed in the Level I Math Olympiad and the team “QC’s Mc²”, consisting of Angel Henry, Samara Munro, and Ariel Mohanlall from Queen’s College Guyana, participated in the Level I Math Olympiad.
Meanwhile, the Interim Executive Director of the CSF, Professor Cardinal Warde, acknowledged the event’s, expressing his optimism for the future of STEM in the region. “The STEM outlook for the Region is very positive. This year, we raised the bar a little higher, and I was impressed by the performance of the medalists.” To further support robotics and coding efforts, the CSF will offer coaching sessions starting in April 2024, aiding teams in their preparation for the 2025 Robotics and Computer Coding Olympiads,” he noted.
Additionally, participants also shared their thoughts and appreciation for the event. Tejasvarun Kandavel expressed gratitude to the CSF for the opportunity to participate and receive feedback on his project. Similarly, Temidara Oyedotun applauded the supportive atmosphere of the competition and highlighted her enthusiasm to continue participating in future STEM Olympiads.
The “QC’s Mc²” team expressed gratitude for the invaluable learning experience and personal growth they gained through this exhilarating competition. Most notable mention went to the platinum medalist team, “Team PCC Pi-rates,” from Trinidad and Tobago, they thanked the CSF for providing a platform that fostered analytical and critical thinking skills.
The Caribbean Science Foundation stated that the successful execution of the Caribbean STEM Olympiads was made possible by the generous support of institutional sponsors including CIBC, Emera Caribbean, Peloton International, Trident Insurance, and TAG software. The CSF, a regional non-profit NGO, aims to stimulate technology-based entrepreneurship and promote STEM education reform to drive the development and diversification of the Caribbean economies.