September 16th, 2005 Condé Nast Traveler magazine today released the names of the 23 school children finalists in the 14th Annual “My Caribbean Essay Contest.” This contest, the first of its kind for Caribbean school children, has become a symbol of Conde´ Nast Traveler’s commitment to the development in the Caribbean.
The 23 student finalists and their chaperones will fly courtesy of American Airlines to the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s annual conference (CTC) in St. Thomas, USVI which is being held this year from October 23 – October 26, 2005. At the conference, a grand prize-winner and two runners-up will be announced during the awards ceremony on October 25th. A $2,000 scholarship will be awarded to the winner, along with $500 scholarships for the two runners-up. The winning essay will also be featured in the December 2005 issue of Condé Nast Traveler.
The finalists in alphabetical order by country are:
Anguilla, Nordisia Lake
Antigua & Barbuda, Samuel Nurse
Aruba, Gloria Franken
Bahamas, Danielle Roberts
Barbados, Gabrielle Farley
Belize, Kristin Marin
Bermuda, Zoe Friesen
British Virgin Islands, Jodi Samuel
Cayman Islands, Clare-Louise McGrath
Dominica, Tamika Jude
Grenada, Shadina Simon
Guyana, Angela Singh
Jamaica, Shanice Hinds
Montserrat, Karishma Dhera
Nevis, Uta Trish Taylor
St. Eustatius, Greida Gibbs
St. Kitts, Davon Richardson
St. Maarten, Terequé Leblanc
St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Vakeesha John
Suriname, Raies J. Wolfram
Trinidad & Tobago, Rhonda Bobb
Turks & Caicos, Carolyn Martinez
U.S. Virgin Islands, Dionna Hopkins
This annual contest is part of a tourism awareness program for school children between the ages of 8 and 12. Each of the 23 finalists attending the Caribbean Tourism Conference will receive an eye-opening experience into the world of tourism. The contest, sponsored by Condé Nast Traveler, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, and American Airlines, educates elementary school children in the Caribbean islands about the importance of tourism to their country’s economy. Grade school children of the 32 CTO member countries were asked to submit a 250 word essay on the following topic:
“If you were given the responsibility of preserving your island’s environment and maintaining its beauty, how would you do that, and how would you involve your whole community from children to adults?”
The theme and rules for the 2005 “My Caribbean” essay contest were communicated to all CTO members by the magazine’s publisher, Lisa Hughes who said,“ The Condé Nast Traveler “My Caribbean” essay contest is the highlight of our year. The children who participate are exceptional – articulate, gifted, hard-working, committed. The themes they address in their essays – their islands’ history, culture, environment – are important to both Condé Nast Traveler and the Caribbean tourism boards. We are proud to support the children of the Caribbean and the Caribbean Tourism Organization.”
Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Caribbean Tourism Organization Secretary General added: “The Caribbean Tourism Organization is proud to be associated with this important programme designed to prepare our tourism professionals of tomorrow for the opportunities and challenges of the tourism industry. For the past 14 years, Condé Nast Traveler has been a valuable partner in this venture and we look forward to maintaining this excellent relationship as we continue to embrace travel and promote tourism in the years ahead.”
