From left: Rishi Pokriyal, Claude Javois, and Lashantay Brown.
PHILIPSBURG--Two students of Methodist Agogic Centre (MAC) Comprehensive Secondary Education have captured first place in the earth and environmental science category for over-fifteen-year-olds at this year’s St. Maarten Science Fair.
The winning project, entitled, “Plastics Be Gone: Mission to Replace Single-Use Plastics,” was developed and presented by fourth form students Rishi Pokriyal and Lashantay Brown.
“Their innovative research tackled the urgent issue of plastic pollution in St. Maarten and proposed sustainable, biodegradable alternatives as a path to a cleaner future,” it was stated in a press release issued by Claude Javois, science fair coordinator at MAC and President of Green Dream Projects Foundation, who guided Pokriyal and Brown.
“Their project connected global solutions to local problems, presenting realistic strategies for reducing plastic waste and promoting green alternatives. Drawing inspiration from countries already adopting bio-plastics, they outlined how similar practices could be implemented in St. Maarten through policy, education, and business partnerships,” Javois said.
With a background in environmental waste management, Javois said he provided mentorship and direction that “proved instrumental to the project’s success”. The students also benefited from support provided by the American University of the Caribbean (AUC) School of Medicine, he said.
“For MAC-CSE, this victory represents more than just academic excellence; it reflects a growing culture of youth-driven sustainability and problem-solving on the island. Rishi and Lashantay have expressed interest in taking their project further, including potential pilot programmes that introduce bio-plastics into schools and businesses,” Javois said. “As small island nations like St. Maarten face increasing environmental pressures, the vision and creativity of young scientists are more important than ever.”
