Thanks to the UG-RASSR program of the University of Guyana, the next generation of scientists, engineers, and technical professionals will be distributed across the country, not just in Georgetown, the capital city.
Now in the fifth and final year of its first cohort, and the first year of its second, the program has reached students from Guyana’s 10 administrative regions.
Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin, outgoing UG Vice-Chancellor, described the program as an accelerated pathway into advanced STEM learning. It identifies and mentors young students with strong ability in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and related fields.
“Definitely, STEM education and potential are there in our students…sustained engagement—from students in every region, year after year—signals that STEM interest is not confined to the capital,” Professor Mohamed-Martin said.
The results so far show strong retention. The professor commented that UG expected about half of the students to leave the program over its five-year period. Instead, 92 remained by the end of the cycle. More than 75 have chosen to continue in STEM-related fields.
Four outstanding students from the program gained admission to the University of Guyana at the unusually young ages of 14 and 15 and are completing their first year in computer science. One student completed the full CSEC complement in Grade 10, earning eight Grade Ones and one Grade Two, and is now at UG studying petroleum engineering.
UG-RASSR is not a short camp. Students enter in Grade 6 or Grade 7 and return each year. The academic content builds over time and is tied to clear post-secondary goals. Read more here.
