The University of the West Indies (The UWI) has officially recognized Rayanna Williams, a student from Holy Childhood High School in Jamaica, as the 2024 Outstanding Caribbean Child Researcher during the 19th Annual Caribbean Child Research Conference. This two-day event was held on November 28 and 29 at the Sagicor Cave Hill School of Business and Management in Barbados.
Among 23 participants, Rayanna distinguished herself with her research paper titled, “Progress or Stagnation: Evaluating the Impact of School Hair Grooming Policies on Children’s Rights in Jamaica.” In addition to earning the overall winner title, she also received awards for Best Methodology, Best Written Paper, and Best Oral Presentation.
The second-place accolade was awarded to Tashelia Forth from William Knibb High School, who presented her research on “Exploring Self-Mutilation Among Adolescents in Western Jamaica.” The third-place recognition went to Jeanic Polius from St. Joseph’s Convent in St. Lucia for her study, “Progress in Children’s Rights in Saint Lucia, 35 Years After the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.”
The conference, which is sponsored annually by UNICEF Eastern Caribbean in collaboration with The UWI’s School of Graduate Studies and Research, the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute, and the Ministry of Education in Barbados, serves as a platform for academics and child researchers to share their insights on a variety of topics. This year’s central theme was “The CRC @ 35: Evaluating Our Adherence to Children’s Rights in the Caribbean.”
Professor Aldrie Henry-Lee, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chair of the Caribbean Child Research Conference, commented on the significance of the event, stating, “The UWI is pleased to partner in hosting a conference that promotes children’s rights and builds capacity among our youth. While we value the academic presentations and publications emerging from the conference, we take even greater pride in our Caribbean children’s oral and written submissions. These contributions provide insight into their perspectives on the adherence to children’s rights and how we can enhance their quality of life.”
In the essay competition, Osa-Marie Hunter from Convent High School in Dominica took first place for her essay focused on adherence to children’s rights in her country. Ariel Alexander from South-East Port of Spain Secondary School and Bradley Ramjohn from ASJA Boys College in Trinidad and Tobago earned second and third places, respectively, from a total of 56 essay submissions.
The conference also featured a poster competition, which saw over 50 entries. The winners from this segment included Faith Williams from Marabel Anglican Primary School, Caylan Donawa from Sacred Heart Boys R.C., and Ariya Ramdass and Avocat Vedic (APS) School, all from Trinidad and Tobago, securing first, second, and third places respectively for their illustrations regarding children’s rights in their nation.
DNO, how is it that a Dominican student won in her category, but this is your headline?
ADMIN: Thank you for taking the time to point that out. We have updated the article.