Curious minds from schools across Barbados flocked to Queen’s Park on Tuesday for an energetic display of science, technology and creativity at the Ministry of Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology (MIST) Festival — a showcase of how innovation is shaping local life and future careers.
From drones and robotics to artificial intelligence and virtual reality, the event offered a hands-on look at innovation, with many attendees describing the experience as both eye-opening and inspiring.
“Today was quite, you know, the day… going around and seeing all the science and technology activities going on, it has been a very enlightening experience… I must say it has been a very exciting experience so far and, yes, 100 per cent recommend it,” Barbados Seventh-day Adventist Secondary School student Zachary Joseph said after touring the exhibits.
For others, the festival provided access to opportunities they don’t usually encounter. “It’s really hard, especially as a homeschooler, to get information and be more aware of all the job opportunities and special fields,” Lyran Meyer said as he walked around with his family.
“So I come to places like this… as just a way to find out more about anything I’m interested in, honestly.”
Interactive displays proved a major highlight throughout the day. Providence Secondary School student Lucie Lemoine said: “First, we went to see the drones… from up there, they can see the port, which is three kilometres away. And then we went to make slime… and then after that we went to see the meteorologist [who] told us about how everything measures wind speed… some of that.”
Others were drawn to the more hands-on tech experiences. “Probably make robots that was inside the building,” another Providence student, Josiah Clarke said, while schoolmate Aaron Emtage added: “The festival is feeling really energetic… I feel like I can do it myself. Trying to make something like that behind me.”
The strong student turnout did not go unnoticed by the Adventist School’s Issac St Rose Ward. “Today I was captivated by the amount of secondary and primary school students who came… What really caught my attention was the technology programme. The people were very engaging. I really like that. I learned a lot from those programmes.”
Even simple moments left lasting impressions. “I had a lot of fun today, and my favourite part was when I got to fly a drone… I also got a keychain, and it’s pink because I like pink,” Adventist student Sharisha Marshall said with a smile.
The festival’s ability to engage younger students stood out to Destinee Bruce of the Springer Memorial School. “I really like the festival… It has been very engaging. The highlight for me is seeing children from primary schools being able to enjoy this initiative. And I really like the virtual reality segment of it.”
Educators also praised the initiative’s impact. Nicole Bourne, an Adventist Secondary School teacher, described it as “an interesting experience… I think the students got to learn a lot about science and technology and it was quite engaging for them”.
A major attraction this year was the integration of artificial intelligence, showcased by Jomario ‘Joe Cloudy’ Goddard through multiple interactive booths. “Today we have three booths and today we are exploring the world of AI… AI Hollywood… AI Photo Booth… AI Music Studio… we are here to display the future, where AI processes are used to make jobs a lot easier,” one exhibitor explained.
Highlighting its potential, he added, “a movie scene with an exploding car on a street can now be created more easily… this helps bridge the gap between Hollywood and Barbados production levels.”
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