Queen’s College unveils student-led “Cycle Smart” project

Standing as the reigning SHOUT Guyana three-time consecutive champion, Queen’s College on Monday unveiled the Cycle Smart Project, the winning initiative of the SHOUT National Secondary School Environmental Speech Competition 2025 (SHOUT 3.0).

The project, conceptualised by 2025 Youth Environmental Speaker Anushka Singh, was officially launched on Tuesday through Recover Guyana in collaboration with the Education Ministry and with support from ExxonMobil Guyana.
The Cycle Smart Project earned Singh the national SHOUT 3.0 title earlier this year, securing a $1 million grant for Queen’s College to bring her proposal to life. With Tuesday’s launch, her vision now transitions from planning to full implementation, marking another milestone in student-led environmental innovation across the country.

Delivering the feature address at the event, Local Government and Regional Development Minister Priya Manickchand highlighted the power of leadership, especially among young people.
“This is what vision and driving a vision does. People copy trends, and so if we can make trends that are good trends that will change our bad habits and lead to the sustainability of our country, our lives, and our livelihoods, then imagine what Guyana could look like,” she said.
“This here is an example of SHOUT standing almost alone at that time because we would have the initial three monthly or bi-yearly clean-ups, but we didn’t have a sustained effort to make sure everybody was becoming conscious that [anyone who litters is considered] backward and uncivilised and unconscionable if you were to litter.”
Manickchand added that this year’s winner, Anushka Singh, is driving sustainable change. She explained that for the thousands of people influenced, including teachers, students, and school cleaners, each individual’s influence extends to their household.
“This is making people think about whether they should throw out the banana skin through the window, drop the Dr Pepper can on the road, fling the KFC box through the bus window, or if they can look for colour-coded bins – not only bins, but colour-coded bins – to determine where their trash belongs.”
She noted that this project has begun not only a shift among thousands of Guyanese in how they view garbage separation but also in how they see the usefulness of that separation as the country moves toward reusing, recycling, and reducing waste.
She also commended the parents who are taking the initiative themselves and raising their children to adopt these positive environmental habits.

Lead by example
Meanwhile, the winner, Anushka Singh, expressed her gratitude in undertaking this grand feat, stating that it is her privilege to be spearheading her project.
“As the national youth speaker, it is my privilege to unveil this project. Born out of research, it had a very simple beginning. Waste accumulates all around us; it is unsightly to look at, unpleasant to smell, and it poses a great threat to our environment. Of course, Queen’s College is not alone in this; it is a nationwide problem, and I believe that it is our responsibility to lead by example. Instead of being just another school, we should be the school that leads change.”
Singh highlighted the project’s focus on recycling plastic and metal, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and decreasing energy use.
This latest initiative builds on the growing legacy of SHOUT. In previous years, winning initiatives included a Water Purification and Sustainability Project (SHOUT 1.0), which significantly reduced single-use plastic bottle waste, and a Hydroponic Kitchen Garden System (SHOUT 2.0), which introduced responsible farming practices and hands-on agricultural learning. These successes set the foundation for SHOUT’s continued impact and reinforce the programme’s role in fostering environmental leadership across Guyana.
Co-Founder and First Vice-President of Recover Guyana, Dr Omesh Balmacoon, emphasised, “At Recover Guyana, we believe that when young people are empowered, they become catalysts for national transformation. The Cycle Smart Project is another powerful reminder that our students are not just learning about sustainability; they are leading it. We are proud to champion programmes like SHOUT that give young environmental leaders the platform, the resources and the confidence to turn bold ideas into lasting, positive change for Guyana.”
Chricell Whitney, Waste Management Lead at ExxonMobil Guyana, expressed strong support for the Cycle Smart Initiative, noting its alignment with the company’s commitment to sustainability. “One of ExxonMobil’s fundamental goals is to protect the environment. The Cycle Smart Initiative is an important step towards empowering communities to better understand waste management and take meaningful action.”