Ocean Academy Victorious at 2019 Youth Innovation Challenge

The winners of the 2019 Youth Innovation Challenge were announced on Thursday. Ocean Academy in Caye Caulker Village placed first with their financial literacy mobile application. The competition took place over a period of three days during which students from across the country were tasked in presenting ideas related to financial literacy.  Out of the fifteen schools which participated, Ocean Academy managed to successfully present their app which was created to assist persons to become financially literate.

Lupita Aldana

Lupita Aldana, Student, Ocean Academy

“Our idea was a website on an app including a YouTube channel. The website is to help students become financially literate but not only students anybody in general.”

Daniela Novelo

Daniela Novelo, Student, Ocean Academy

“Not only is it a website and app, it is curriculum based we are also partnering with the C.C.V. B.T.I.A. to hold one of the first finance events in Caye Caulker so we can spread it across to adults who aren’t very ‘techie’. Then we also a youth on youth advisor where we are training trainers. We are inviting other high schools to bring down their students so that we can train them so they can take it to their schools to increase the knowledge countrywide. In the presentation we said Belizean youth students are twenty four percent of our population but they are hundred percent of our future so we need to attend to their needs.”

First place winners received a tablet and seven hundred and fifty dollars each. Saint Catherine Academy placed second, while Edward P. Yorke High School placed third.