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The Caribbean Science Foundation (CSF) held the inaugural Caribbean STEM Olympiads on 20 – 22 January 2023 in a virtual format. In these Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Olympiads, individuals and teams representing educational institutions, clubs or themselves competed in several STEM events at three different age levels: Level 1 for students 12 – 15 years of age, Level 2 for students 16 – 18 years of age, and Level 3 for students 19 – 21 years of age. The events of the 2023 STEM Olympiads included: (a) Math Olympiads, (b) a Robotics Showcase and (c) Computer Coding Games. The Computer Coding Games consisted of Apps, and Websites aimed at solving one of six challenges faced by Caribbean communities (energy production and consumption, food security and food safety, non-communicable diseases, transportation, money movement, financial education, and geohazards and climate change).
 

A total of 215 students from 10 Caribbean countries registered for the Olympiads. After the preliminary rounds, 30 teams (98 students) made it to the finals. There were 28 finalists in the Math Olympiads, 34 in the Robotics Showcase, and 36 in the Computer Coding Games. Medal certificates were awarded in platinum, gold, silver, and bronze categories. In addition, cash prizes of US$ 400, US$ 300, US$ 200 and US$ 100 were awarded to the teams winning platinum, gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively.
 

The Awards and Closing Ceremony, held on Sunday 22 January 2023, revealed that Jamaica led the medal count with 7 medals, followed by Guyana with 5, Barbados with 4, Trinidad and Tobago also with 4, and Antigua and Barbuda with 3 (2 of which were gold). Noteworthy for the STEM Olympiads was the fact that females out-performed males in the total number of medals won, by approximately 5:3.
 

Regarding the most prestigious medals, Jamaica earned 3 platinum medals. Specifically, Ehinome Ehikhametalor who attends Campion College, but represented himself won the Level 1 Math Olympiad platinum medal; Micaela Mclean, Orvi-Ann Brown and Keneilia Bailey of the Glenmuir Math Club won the Level 3 Math Olympiad platinum medal; and Abigail Allen, Laraine Williams, Nishanae Williams, Demaria Walker and Kristian Coke of Campion College, won the Level 2 Computer Coding Games platinum medal.
 

From Trinidad and Tobago, Fazeel Ali, Saleem Salick and Raymond Liu of Presentation College Chaguanas won the platinum medal in the Math Level 2 Olympiad; and Sarah Sellier (on gap year) and Neysa Sylvan (University of Trinidad and Tobago) forming a private team earned the platinum medal for Level 3 Computer Coding Games.
 

The platinum medal for the Level 2 Robotics Showcase went to Jamani Bowen, Trevan Parris, Malik Blackman, Mystica Inniss and Jovani Gittens of Harrison College’s Kolij Robotics Club (Barbados) for their clothes-folding robot.
 

Professor Cardinal Warde, the Interim Director of the CSF stated “I am very pleased and impressed by the high level of STEM talent in the Region! I have to wonder if I could have solved the difficult Level 3 problems in the Math Olympiads as quickly as the platinum medalists did.” He went on to thank the judges, his staff, and both the Institutional and individual sponsors, and his friends and family who made financial contributions with very short notice to make the inaugural Olympiads a success.
 

At the awards ceremony, several students highlighted the impact on them of participating in the STEM Olympiads. Kristian Coke of Campion College, Jamaica said “I have always wanted to create video games and even started a club at my school centred around game development, but I often encountered difficulty in mustering the motivation or direction needed to actualise my ideas. This competition provided me with an outlet to create a functioning game and hone my skills in programming and game design. For this, I am very grateful.”

Among the other students who shared how much they enjoyed participating in the Olympiads was Sarah Baharally of Queen's College, Guyana who stated, “This competition was immensely ineffable, quite thrilling and euphoric!” Many students indicated they would compete again next year and encourage their friends to join.