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JAMAICA: More Than 200 Students and Teachers Prepare for Science and Technology Fair

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#Jamaica, May 15, 2018 – Kingston – More than 200 students and teachers participated in ideation sessions held recently to prepare them for the Scientific Research Council (SRC) National Science and Technology Fair.  The three sessions, which were held in Kingston, Montego Bay and Mandeville, provided a forum for participants to identify key challenges affecting sectors in Jamaica and possible solutions.

Coordinator for the Science and Technology Education Unit at the SRC, Amanda McKenzie, explained to JIS News that the sessions took the format of a panel discussion.  Following this, ideas from the discussion were pitched and analysed to determine the feasibility of the ideas.

“The sessions really took persons through an idea to determine whether it is really needed in the market, and how it is that they can go all the way through the process of commercialisation,” she noted.

“For the Fair, we don’t want persons to come up with ideas that are not necessarily relevant at this time, so the sessions were to provide that sort of brainstorming session that would first identify the gaps that currently exist, what we can expect in the future, and how it is we can now, through foresight, develop innovative solutions to address [these],” she added.

Students and teachers were exposed to presenters from various industries representing the categories of the Science Fair, including energy, health, security and food and agro-processing.  Ms. McKenzie said there was a representative from the Montego Bay Marine Park who looked at the environmental conditions in Jamaica, and challenged persons to come up with ideas and solutions to mitigate these.

Additionally, the students and teachers were exposed to an entrepreneurial perspective with the inclusion of entrepreneurs in the fields of nutraceuticals, agriculture, entertainment and photography.

“This [entrepreneurship] is important because this is something that we are really pushing for persons, especially for the youth to get involved in,” Ms. McKenzie explained.

She further added that this is a key component of the ‘Youth Employment in the Digital and Animation Industry’ (YEDAI) project, with which the Council is partnering this year to stage the National Science and Technology Fair.

“We realise that there is a high rate of migration; especially for individuals that have attained tertiary-level education, there is a low innovation index in Jamaica, and even in cases where persons have developed items, products and services, there is not enough support, guidance or resources available to them,” Ms. McKenzie said.

She noted that the sessions sought to provide persons with information to let them know of the potential that they “can tap into, benefit from and generate employment for themselves and other persons”.

The sessions were held between April 19 and May 2.  The National Science and Technology Fair is scheduled for June 12, with a registration deadline of May 18.

For more information, persons may send an email to steu@src-jamaica.org or they may call 876-927-1771-4.

 

Release: JIS

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CARPHA Progresses to Eligibility for the First Disbursement of Pandemic Funding

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Following a landmark Public Signing Ceremony for the Pandemic Fund (PF) Technical Cooperation Agreement (“Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Prevention, Preparedness, and Response” [RG-T4387] Project) on December 14, 2023, in Trinidad, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) continues to progress towards the start of implementation.

 CARPHA fulfilled the IDB’s nine conditions prior to first disbursement, achieving full eligibility on March 15, 2024, and is now eligible for the first disbursement. This milestone achievement in just 3 months after the signing speaks to the commitment of both CARPHA, the Executing Agency, and IDB, the Implementing Entity, toward the regional PF project with the objective of supporting the reduction of the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean by building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPR) surveillance & early-warning systems (EWS), laboratory systems and workforce capacity, regionally at CARPHA and in countries.

Since the signing of the Technical Cooperation Agreement and as part of the conditions prior to first disbursement, CARPHA has achieved the following key outputs (i) the development of the PF Project Operations Manual, Multi-annual Execution Plan, Procurement Plan, Financial Plan, Procedure for CARPHA’s Financial Reporting System; (ii) vacancy announcements for two tranches of consultants with the subsequent hiring of five (Technical Coordinator, Financial Specialist, Procurement Specialist, Operations Officer and Project Operations Coordinator) and (iii) the establishment of the Project Execution Unit (PEU) and Project Execution Steering Committee (PESC). The dedicated PEU will be responsible for execution according to its planned timelines, which will be led by the Dr. Lisa Indar, the Project Director (CARPHA’s Director of Surveillance, Disease Prevention and Control Division).

 CARPHA, as the lead regional public health agency and an expression of Caribbean Cooperation in Health is mandated by its Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to support its 26 CARPHA Member States (CMS) in bolstering national systems and coordinating regional response to public health threats. The Agency works closely with regional and international agencies and uses regional mechanisms, surveillance systems, and networks for coordinating its public health response work.

In July 2023, the PF Governing Board announced that CARPHA’s regional entity proposal, entitled ‘Reducing the Public Health Impact of Pandemics in the Caribbean through Strengthened Integrated Early Warning Surveillance, Laboratory Systems and Workforce Development’ was successfully selected for the first round of financing. It was one of only 19 proposals selected from over 300 submissions and the only regional project. The three priority areas in the proposal are: (i) Comprehensive disease surveillance and EWS, (ii) Laboratory systems and (iii) Human resources and public health and community workforce capacity.

This project is expected to begin implementation in March 2024, starting off with a blended onboarding session. A Stakeholder Meeting with countries is tentatively planned for July 2024.

CARPHA remains dedicated to working together with the IDB, CARPHA Member States and the Pandemic Fund to successfully implement the regional proposal geared toward reducing the public health impact of pandemics in the Caribbean.

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Men who had Murdered Man, Marley Higgs’ cell phone face Court

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Wilkie Arthur

Freelance Court Correspondent

The prosecution intends to try two young North Caicos men, both age 21 for the offense of possession of property of a murdered man, property that was stolen and landed in their possession.

The phone belonged to Peureton ‘Marley’ Higgs, who is believed to have been an innocent gunned down at his apartment complex in the Glass Shack area in a spray of bullets on February 2 that killed another man and wounded two others, including a ten-year-old little girl.

The cell phone was described as white in colour, an iPhone, in a hard black case. 

On Monday, March 18th, JEFFVANO HANDFIELD of North Caicos pleaded not guilty to the offense, and the matter was adjourned to April 2024. He was granted bail in the matter.

A second North Caicos man was charged similarly.  

SARENO CAPELLAN aka, Kino Williams is the second individual brought before the court pertaining to the said cellphone. He appeared in court a week after JEFFVANO HANDFIELD, the date being Monday March 25th 2024.

The case for the Crown is that both men sometime in February of this year possessed the cellphone knowing or suspecting it to be stolen property.

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Supreme Court Closed for Easter

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Easter Recess shall commence on Friday 29th April, 2024 and end on Friday 5th April, 2024. During the Easter Recess Judge Selochan will be available to deal only with matters that are urgent or require prompt attention.

Court Business During the Easter Recess

A person who wishes to have a matter heard during the recess must file a certificate of urgency along with an affidavit, which must set out the reasons why the matter is urgent or requires prompt attention. The matter will not be listed during the recess unless the Judge deems it fit for urgent hearing.

Opening Hours During the Easter Holiday

The Supreme Court’s last sitting day for the first term is Thursday 28th March, 2024. The Court will officially resume sittings on Monday 8th April, 2024. The Supreme Court Offices in both Grand Turk and Providenciales will continue to operate while the Court is not sitting during the recess.

The Court Office will be closed on the following public holidays:

  • Friday 29th March, 2024 (Good Friday) CLOSED
  • Monday 1st April, 2024 (Easter Monday) CLOSED

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