Students from the Academy School of Science and Technology visited Saint Lucia earlier this week, and met with fellow students of the Augier Combined School to share information on innovative approaches to combating pollution and climate change.

Principal and founder of the Academy School, Reverend Sylveta Hamilton-Gonzalez, said there is a clear process for developing projects.

“Each year, the students are asked to come up with an innovative idea," she explained. "They must research, come up with a product, and come up with an idea that would be able to benefit all of humanity. With us today are three of our first prize winners who have won the Dr. Errol Byer award for science."

Reverend Gonzalez said  the students are awarded with scholarships to visit selected countries, including Saint Lucia.

One of the top prize winners for 2015, Keith Hill, explained his project idea.

“I developed a solar panel that is specially designed with an abundance of solar cells. With each solar cell, it will consume more sunlight and the sunlight which emits ultra violet radiation will be able to generate more electricity. With this voltage, I will be able to power electronics and appliances even quicker than the average solar panels."

Another winner for 2015, Imani Atwell, said her project concerns medical health.

“I have invented a biodegradable back brace for people with scoliosis," she said. "I have scoliosis so the back brace is important to me. It will be made from cotton which will help me to be comfortable with the brace. The purpose of this brace is to make your spine straighter. When you are done using it, the brace can go back into the earth.”

The other prize winner, Abindigo Bain, also focused on utilizing solar energy.

“I use the bacteria called vibrophosphorum," he explained. "This bacteria, when it is fully cultivated, emits light, so I attempted to harness its light with solar panels so that people in areas that do not have a lot of sunlight can have accessibility to electricity from solar energy."

The students and officials of the Academy School of Science and Technology also visited the Governor General, Her Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy and President of the Senate, Hon. Claudius J. Francis.