Harrison College's Amit Tiwari-Jones, 17, showing Minister of Trade, Industry and Commerce George Hutson (centre) and others the school's extensive "sun scout solar seeker".

SAVING BARBADOS
was the main focus

at yesterday's opening
of the Sci-Tech Expo.

Many of the young scientists chose
to showcase pieces
on saving the island's
coral reefs, stopping soil erosion or providing alternative energy.

Extensive displays were laid out both inside and outside Sherbourne Conference Centre, Two Mile Hill, St Michael, demonstrating to their peers and adults alike that the future was definitely in their hands.

Objective

Pamela Small-Williams, senior science teacher
at Erdiston Primary School, said the objective was to give the children "an indelible opportunity where they are able
to have first-hand knowledge of Barbados and the fact that soil erosion is prevalent", especially in the
Scotland District.

"These young minds will be able to analyse the methods of control and management that are present and come up
with what could be done from their perspective," she said.

Erdiston Primary pupil, Stephie Agard, 11, said
the project was "a great experience to take part
in the expo to bring our ideas out for display".

Meanwhile, students at Harrison College put forth a progressive solar project for alternative energy; while the older students of St Leonard's Boys' School had an interactive exhibit on the island's coral.

Alternative fuel

Another innovative science concept was
The St Michael School's own mixture of cane juice, lime juice and yeast
to create ethanol as
an alternative fuel.

However, the students were not the only ones with impressive displays. Several schoolchildren stopped at the Royal Barbados Police Force's booth "CSI In Barbados", filled with questions about crime scene investigation; while the Barbados Marine Trust also drew large crowds to its artificial reef structures made to re-establish destroyed coral.

The expo will continue and open to the public today and Saturday. (TM)