The best and brightest young minds in Caribbean Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) convened at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus recently, during the seventh annual Student Program for Innovation in Science and Engineering (SPISE) 2018 summer programme.

SPISE is an initiative of the Caribbean Science Foundation, which is headquartered in the CARICOM Research Building at The UWI Cave Hill. The programme aims to increase the interest of Caribbean students pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering, and to groom the next generation of science, engineering, technology and business leaders in the region.

This year, 22 students ranging in age from 16 to 18 years old were resident at the campus for four weeks for training in areas such as calculus, biochemistry, entrepreneurship, robotics, and renewable energy. The students hailed from 10 Caribbean islands: Belize, Anguilla, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Martinique, Grenada and Barbados. Additionally, for the first time, the group had an even ratio of boys to girls.

Students in the 2018 SPISE cohort will be attending Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Yale, and The University of the West Indies.

The final presentation, held on Friday, August 11, showcased their projects in the areas of computer programming, renewable energy, underwater robotics and entrepreneurship.

Pictured: SPISE 2018 Students with their underwater robots