270 Students Participate in the 2026 Caribbean STEM Olympiads
The Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF) held the Medal Awards and Closing Ceremony on 18 January 2026 to celebrate the medallists of the fourth annual Caribbean STEM Olympiads (CSO). The event, which was held in a virtual format, awarded platinum, gold, silver and bronze medals to teams and individuals from seven Caribbean countries (Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago). The medallists represented either their educational institutions or themselves, and competed in the Math, Computer Coding, and Robotics & Electronics Systems Olympiads at three different age levels (13 – 15, 16 – 18 and 19 – 21 years of age).
In the competitions, the focus was on rewarding inventiveness, as well as critical, logical and analytical thinking. In particular, the Math Olympiad was held in a Jeopardy-style format and covered the fundamentals in topics ranging from consumer arithmetic at Level I to vector calculus at Level III. The Computer Coding Olympiad tasked applicants with creating apps, games, and websites aimed at solving a challenge faced by Caribbean communities. The list of challenges included geohazards and climate change, tourism, non-communicable diseases, inter- and intra-country transportation, energy security, food safety and security, and financial education.
The Robotics & Electronics Systems Olympiad tasked the Level I applicants with building innovative systems from kits, whereas the Level III robotics and electronics systems teams were required to design and assemble their robots starting from the basic components. This year, to encourage greater participation and enhance the quality of the projects, the CSF offered Amazon gift cards worth up to US$ 150 to Robotics & Electronics Systems teams that registered early.
Registration for the Olympiads continues to increase each year, and this year a total of 270 students from 9 Caribbean countries registered for the Olympiads. After the preliminary rounds, 90 students (in 42 teams) made it to the finals: 41 in the Math Olympiad, 26 in the Computer Coding Olympiad, and 27 in the Robotics & Electronics Systems Olympiad, with some students participating in more than one Olympiad.
Medal certificates and cash prizes of US$ 500, 400, 300 and 200 were awarded to teams winning platinum, gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. The Medal Awards and Closing Ceremony revealed that Jamaica led the medal count with 10 medals, followed by Trinidad and Tobago with 5 medals, Belize with 3 medals, Barbados, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with 2 each, and Saint Kitts and Nevis with 1 medal.
Professor Cardinal Warde, the Interim Executive Director of the CSF, in his comments at the Medal Awards and Closing Ceremony said, “The students apparently found the Level III Math Olympiad to be very challenging. However, the standards will not be lowered for next year. I want the Level III students to rise to the challenge, and I believe they will.” He went on to say to the students, “you cannot know too much mathematics; it will stand you in good stead as you go forward into the STEM disciplines. And if you did not win a medal this year, it is OK. Simply start preparing now to improve your robot, your code, or your mathematical skills for next year.”