๐บ๐. ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
Basseterre, St. Kitts โ January 22, 2026 โ 4 college students from Clarence Fitzroy Bryant School (CFBC) have emerged victorious on the 2026 Caribbean STEM Olympiad, defeating groups from Jamaica, Belize, and Guyana within the Pc Coding class. The profitable group, Josiah Davis, Fraimer De La Cruz, Nathan Lewis, and Nikhal Dore, are all members of the Schoolโs AI and Coding Membership, in its inaugural yr, and based by group member and president, Fraimer De La Cruz.
Collectively, they developed a complete digital platform that reimagines how the federal governmentโs ASPIRE Programme may interact and educate Caribbean youth about investing and monetary literacy.
The Caribbean STEM Olympiad, hosted yearly by the Caribbean Science Basis, is now in its fourth yr and options three aggressive classes: Math, Pc Coding (geared toward fixing challenges confronted by Caribbean communities), and Robotics & Electronics Techniques. This yrโs competitors occurred from January 12-18, 2026, bringing collectively the areaโs brightest younger minds.
๐ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ
The Authorities of Saint Kitts and Nevis launched the ASPIRE Programme (Reaching Success by way of Private Funding, Assets, and Schooling) in September 2024, offering eligible youth with $500 in financial savings and $500 invested in native publicly traded shares. Whereas progressive in idea, this systemโs current interface supplied restricted visibility into investments and minimal academic assist for individuals to grasp their portfolios.
The inspiration to boost ASPIRE got here from private expertise.
As group member Nikhal Dore defined throughout their presentation, โA couple of years in the past, I acquired $1,000 by way of a authorities program in Saint Kitts and Nevis. However that funding cash was simply sitting there. I had no concept what it was invested in, what investing actually meant, or whether or not my shares had been going up or down. If I, somebody eager about expertise and finance, didnโt perceive it, then 1000’s of different younger individuals most likely didnโt both.โ
This realization sparked the groupโs mission: to remodel ASPIRE from a easy funding program into a robust device for training, accountable investing, and long-term monetary empowerment, not only for St. Kitts and Nevis, however for CARICOM youth throughout the area.
๐๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ง๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ๐
Beneath the steering of lecturer Enoete Inanga, who inspired them to channel their strengths in pc science, AI, and coding towards fixing a regional problem, the group labored diligently for months to carry their imaginative and prescient to life. The consequence was a feature-rich proof-of-concept platform that totally impressed the judges as โa properly put-together idea with super potential.โ
The groupโs enhanced ASPIRE platform consists of:
โ Sparky, a totally practical AI chatbot that serves as an funding companion and instructor, answering questions particular to every consumerโs portfolio and offering customized steering
โ A CARICOM-centric market that includes shares from throughout the area, together with establishments just like the West Indies Financial institution, St. Kitts Nevis Anguilla Nationwide Financial institution, and Barbados Business Financial institution
โ Interactive studying modules with brief programs explaining investing fundamentals, danger administration, and diversificationโwith necessary classes required earlier than high-risk actions
โ A aggressive leaderboard that gamifies the training expertise, permitting college students to compete with passionate learners throughout the area
โ Instructional video games with issue ranges starting from simple to skilled, unlocking as customers progress
โ A clear data-visualization dashboard offering clear insights into portfolio efficiency
Because the group emphasised of their presentation, โInnovation doesnโt at all times imply creating one thing utterly new. Typically innovation means enhancing what already exists and unlocking its full potential.โ
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ก๐ฒ๐
๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐
The group was formally acknowledged on the Caribbean STEM Olympiad Awards and Closing Ceremony on Sunday, January 18, 2026. Their proof-of-concept demonstrates vital potential for a way the ASPIRE Programme can evolve right into a complete academic platform. With additional improvement and integration of real-time market information, their imaginative and prescient may develop throughout CARICOM territories, probably remodeling government-supported youth funding packages all through the Caribbean into interactive instruments for monetary literacy.
The challenge showcases not solely technical excellence but in addition a deep understanding of how current authorities initiatives will be enhanced by way of expertise. With additional improvement and entry to regional market information, the groupโs imaginative and prescient may remodel ASPIRE right into a cornerstone device for monetary training throughout the Caribbean.
๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
The Caribbean Science Basis (CSF) goals to boost the standard of secondary and tertiary science training within the area whereas making a technology-savvy workforce by way of initiatives just like the annual Caribbean STEM Olympiads.
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