Education
Clement Howell High Wins FortisTCI Science Fair Project Competition
#TurksandCaicos, March 13, 2023 – Clement Howell High School and International School of TCI won the 2023 National Science Project Competition, which featured a primary and secondary school segment.
Clement Howell High School won against seven other participating high schools. The winning ‘Don’t Whine Over Your Brine’ research experiment investigated a method of treating brine from reverse osmosis to provide a better use for the concentrate and reduce the amount of waste discarded into the sea.
Raymond Gardiner High School placed second with its Barbie Beach Bricks research experiment. The investigation focused on recycling water plastic bottles mixed with sand to create bricks for a walkway pavement and to compare this product with commercial bricks.
Holy Family Academy secured third place with an OpenCV Speed Radar experiment, which a developed a program to track vehicles accurately and detect their speed in a video feed. The school also received the coveted President’s Award from FortisTCI President and CEO Ruth Forbes as a special recognition for “outstanding creativity,
innovative thinking and skillful execution in scientific pursuit.” Mrs. Forbes judged all high school projects for these criteria and Holy Family Academy emerged as the winner.
Other high school projects consisted of experiments, which used recycled plastic bottles to create greenhouses to hasten the growth of tomato seedlings, explored the effectiveness of solar panels in reducing schools’ carbon footprint, and the potency of bacteria in the root nodules of the Australian pine as a natural fertilizer. High school teams also investigated the prospects of a wireless charging road to demonstrate its feasibility in a changing technological era. Another experiment highlighted hydro-living in TCI, focusing on energy sources and an aqua sanctuary for the growth and breeding of fish.
International School of TCI won the 2023 National Science Project Competition primary school segment with an experiment that investigated pollution levels in Providenciales. Eliza Simons Primary School secured second place with a project on growing scallion using hydroponics, followed by Providence International in third place with a project on economical batteries.
Other research experiments conducted by participating primary schools included the diversity of Aloe, the use of soldier bush for fat reduction, how sugar affects memory, and how temperature affects seed growth.
Clement Howell High School also won the National Science Poster Competition – Creative Art category, followed by Maranatha Academy in second place and Elite High School in third place.
The Graphic Art category has two entries, with Holy Family Academy securing the highest score against Raymond Gardiner High School. Providence International was the only primary school with an entry in the graphic arts category.
#fortistcisciencefair2023 #scienceandtechnology #science #education #turksandcaicosislands
Bahamas Information Services
GRAND BAHAMA, The Bahamas — On Saturday, August 23, 2025, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry for Grand Bahama and Member of Parliament for West Grand Bahama and Bimini, Kingsley Smith along with Deputy Director of Education for the Grand Bahama, Bimini, and The Cays District, Michelle Bowleg toured Holmes Rock Junior High School to assess ongoing progress and ensure the project remains on track to welcome students for the new academic term in September.
Following the tour, Smith expressed optimism regarding the ongoing progress, stating, “Having toured the site and seeing the work that is
being done on the weekend, shows the commitment and dedication to getting it completed.”
He also noted that after discussions with the contractors, he was assured that with sufficient manpower and around-the-clock work, the project remains on track for completion by September 1, 2025.
“One of our underlying goals is really access, so we are happy that the school will be up and ready for our students,” said Bowleg.
She highlighted that several zoom meetings were held with parents to keep them informed about key updates including booklists, uniforms, and staffing. According to Bowleg, feedback from parents has been overwhelmingly positive.
“It is a beautiful facility, one that parents will be very proud of, and the entire West Grand Bahama community,” she added.
(BIS Photos/Danielle Rollon)
