Five students from Cayman Prep and High School have been named as the winners of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability’s High School Climate and Energy Challenge.
The winning students were Elena and Olivia Kish, Logan McCoy, Harry Davis and Kupakwashe ‘KP’ Mutomba – all in year eight.
The high-school edition of the challenge is the third iteration of this educational initiative which was first launched in May 2024 for civil servants.
A second edition was rolled out for the general public in September 2024, followed by the latest edition which ran from February to May 2025.
Public and private schools across the islands were invited to participate with the content shared directly to teachers to deliver during class time.
The challenge, which ended on 23 May, provided students with a month’s worth of digital resources for daily learning about climate change and sustainable energy in Cayman.
At the end of the month, students took a quiz and those that scored eight points or more were entered into a draw to win prizes, a press release on 24 June explained.
The winners were invited to a prize giving event at the Government Administration Building along with their parents and teachers.
Speaking at the event, Tamara Ebanks, chief officer in the environment and sustainability ministry, said engaging young people through creative initiatives is vital.
It helps to ensure that climate literacy becomes embedded into the education of young people, their families and ultimately our society as a whole, she said.
“Congratulations to our winners and their teachers, and I hope that we will see even more schools participate in the challenge next academic year,” Ebanks added.
The winners remarked on how much they enjoyed the course content which comprised of a mix of videos, articles and activities.
Mutomba said: “The videos were interesting and really easy to remember because they were about Cayman.
“I really enjoyed the experience in the government building, and it was nice to meet the head of the sustainability department, but my favourite part was getting the prizes.”
The challenge was a product of close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Department of Education Services.
More information on the Climate Change Policy and other resources, is available at www.gov.ky/sustainability/climatechangepolicy.
