The Barbados National Energy Company Limited (BNECL) brought weeks of spirited competition to a close on Wednesday as the inaugural finals of its Energy Quiz were held at the company's Woodbourne, St Philip headquarters, spotlighting young students' knowledge on energy and sustainability while promoting a cleaner energy future for Barbados.
The quiz, under the theme "All Things Energy, Igniting Young Minds," aimed to educate students about energy, sustainability and Barbados' clean-energy future.
The competition followed three preliminary rounds held earlier this month at Luther Thorne Primary School on November 5, Gordon Walters Primary School on November 12, and St Bartholomew Primary School on November 19. Emerging from those rounds were finalists Tariq Forde of Luther Thorne Memorial Primary, Skylar Alexander of Gordon Walters Primary, and Kamari Burke of St Bartholomew Primary.
Parents, teachers, students and BNECL staff filled the room as the students engaged in a Jeopardy-style quiz, responding to statements in the form of a question.
Categories in the first round included Everything Energy, Sustainability, All About BNECL, Science, and Barbados Our Homeland.
Gordon Walters' Skylar Alexander dominated the first round with accurate and confident responses, earning 3 500 points, ahead of Forde with 300 and Burke with 1 500.
Teachers took the opportunity during the break to encourage and motivate the competitors before they returned for the second round, which featured categories such as Energy and Sustainability, Environment and Climate, Barbados and Our Culture, and Science. This round saw more responses from St Bartholomew’s Kamari Burke, who answered quickly but occasionally forgot it was his turn. By its conclusion, Burke had moved up to 900 points, Forde ended with 400, and Alexander extended her lead to 4900.
The event also featured a special performance during the intermission by former Junior Calypso Monarch Dynamo, who energised the audience with his three songs — Potential, Can’t Do It, and Bring Dem Back.
His upbeat delivery empowered the students, with some even joining him to sing and dance.
A final bidding round gave each competitor the chance to wager points on a single question. All three answered correctly, resulting in a reshuffling of the scoreboard.
Alexander secured first place with 5 800 points, Forde moved into second with 2 600, and Burke finished third with 1 800.
The prize-giving ceremony was led by officials from the Ministry of Energy and Business and BNECL.
Deputy Permanent Secretary Keisha Reid presented the third-place prize, while Chief Project Analyst Claire Best presented the second-place award. Chief People Officer Mechelle Smith awarded first-place winner Skylar Alexander with her trophy, along with a new laptop and $500.
BNECL officials noted that the participating schools were selected based on their proximity to their locations, explaining that the quiz forms part of a broader initiative to educate young people about the energy sector and sustainability.
The organisation said the competition has been in development for some time and aligns with its mission to empower the next generation through knowledge of Barbados’ evolving energy landscape. (LE)