Skeldon Line Path Secondary Student Crowned National Environmental Champion; Wins $1 Million Prize Package on World Environment Day
By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — In a spectacular showcase of youth leadership and scientific innovation, Randy Mangal of Skeldon Line Path Secondary School was crowned Guyana’s top youth environmental advocate. Mangal emerged victorious in the 2026 edition of Recover Guyana’s SHOUT4Change National Environmental Competition, which reached its high-stakes climax on World Environment Day, Friday, June 5, 2026.
Now in its fourth year, the prestigious competition is organized by Recover Guyana in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education and is backed by corporate sponsor Snowmobile Guyana. The initiative challenges secondary school students to devise practical, STEM-based solutions to pressuring environmental challenges within their schools and wider communities.
Transforming Trash to Opportunity: The $1 Million Proposal
The national finals, held in the grand ballroom of the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel, brought together 20 exceptional finalists from every corner of the country, reflecting a rich geographic diversity. The grueling multi-phase process began back in February, with students from Grades 9 and 10 submitting one-minute video pitches outlining how they would revolutionize their campus environment if given a hypothetical $1 million grant. Out of more than 70 submissions, the top 20 were selected for capacity building before facing three intense elimination rounds consisting of prepared speeches, impromptu presentations, and a final environmental challenge.
Mangal completely captivated the panel of judges with his engineering proposal to systematically transform waste into structural opportunities at Skeldon Line Path Secondary.
For securing the championship title, Mangal walked away with an elite prize package, including the official championship trophy, a $1 million grand prize to implement his project, an HP laptop, one year of free ONE Fibre internet service, and an educational advancement voucher valued at $100,000.
The National Leaderboard and Innovation Roster
The battle for the top spots was razor-thin, with competitors showcasing elite grasp of atmospheric sciences, technological modeling, and public speaking.
| Final Placement Standings | Student Advocate & Representative School | Prize Package Dispatched | Core Environmental Project Focus |
| 1st Place Champion | Randy Mangal (Skeldon Line Path Secondary) | $1M Prize, HP Laptop, 1-Yr Internet, $100K Voucher | Waste-to-seating conversion & water refill grids |
| 2nd Place Runner-Up | Bhoomika Singh (Tagore Memorial High) | HP Laptop, 1-Year Free Internet, $75K Voucher | Atmospheric science & extreme weather tracking |
| 3rd Place Winner | Brandon Holder (Hope Secondary School) | HP Laptop, 1-Year Free Internet, $50K Voucher | Energy-efficient housing & green urban planning |
| 4th Place Winner | Orlando Reynolds (President’s College) | HP Laptop, 1-Year Free Internet, $25K Voucher | Oceanography & regional marine pollution mitigation |
A Convergence of AI, Biotech, and Climate Science
Beyond the final four, the national platform put on display a stunning array of brilliant presentations from the country’s youth, exploring the intersections of technology, engineering, and environmental sustainability:
- Artificial Intelligence Solutions: Raygon Griffith of Abram Zuil Secondary School delivered a highly advanced pitch detailing how satellite imagery, drone arrays, and rainfall data science can be combined via AI to predict environmental disasters, detect active wildfires, and map flood evacuations.
- Renewable Energy Engineering: Martha Byinauth of Bladen Hall Secondary tackled the decline of global fossil fuels, highlighting how mechanical engineering can build a more resilient green grid.
- Biotechnology & Ecosystems: Jeenette Torres of Hururu Secondary focused heavily on utilizing biological engineering to restore severely damaged regional ecosystems.
- Global Hydrology: Raphieal Jacobis of Leguan Secondary used historical water metrics to outline critical technological contributions to managing global water scarcity.
Other masterclasses included Renatta Bhagwandin of Camille’s Academy (Soesdyke), who examined how climate science and environmental data should dictate international policy making; Gabriell Parkes of Charity Secondary, who outlined carbon capture storage technologies to halt greenhouse gas emissions; Emma Munro of St. Joseph High, who mapped out resource allocation using Geographic Information Systems (GIS); and Elijah Ryan Toolsie of Stewartville Secondary, who outlined the precise scientific barriers to achieving a true circular economy.
“Renewable infrastructure may temporarily alter our landscapes, but climate change threats to permanently destroy them,” runner-up Bhoomika Singh noted passionately during her presentation. “Therefore, let us rise with innovation, courage, and accountability so that our generation is remembered for making a difference.”
Closing out the gala, Recover Guyana President Dr. Dave Lalltoo stated that the 2026 national pool proves that Guyana’s youth are not merely passive observers of climate change, but are technically equipped and emotionally ready to engineer a highly sustainable, resilient future.
