Seventeen year old Jeanne L. Royer of the Commonwealth of Dominica walked away with the first prize in CANTO’s 5th Annual WTISD Essay Competition. Jeanne, who attends the Dominica State College, placed first out of many top notch essays from students in the Caribbean and the USA.

When asked about her placement, an ever jubilant, Jeanne exclaimed that she was elated and surprised. She entered the competition after being convinced by her mother, and though she worked arduously on the essay, she did not expect to emerge as the winner.

The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) spearheaded by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is observed on the 17th of May annually. To commemorate this occasion the Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organizations (CANTO) based in Trinidad & Tobago held the 5th annual essay competition dubbed:- CANTO’s 5th Annual World Telecommunication Information and Society Day- Essay Competition under the ITU theme: “Better life in rural communities with ICTs”. Students from 15 to 17 years were invited to write a 600 word essay on the impact of ICTs in rural communities in their respective country/island.

The competition was staged among participating member countries of CANTO. Entries were judged by a panel of experts in the field of telecommunications and education on creativity, organization, mechanics and educational/technical merit. The top four (4) essays were selected and will be awarded the following prizes:

• 1st Place: Trip for 2 plus hotel accommodation to CANTO’s 27th Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition in Suriname from the 10th – 13th July, 2011; a Netbook computer plus US$1,000
• 2nd Place: A Netbook computer plus US$500
• 3rd Place: A Smartphone plus US$250
• 4th Place: A Smartphone

The winners were as follows: First Place: Jeanne L. Royer of Dominica State College, Dominica; Second Place: Christopher A. Nelson of St. Dominic High School, St. Maarten; Third Place: Dhanishka Pohuja, Learning Unlimited Prepatory School, St. Maarten; Fourth Place: Asabi Rawlins, Naparima Girls High School, and Trinidad & Tobago.

The essays were of a very high standard and CANTO believes that the entrants got a firm grasp of the role and impact of ICT on rural communities and life in general.

CANTO would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the entrants from Antigua, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Maarten, Trinidad & Tobago and the USA. We would also like to thank all the members for promoting the campaign in their respective countries and last but not least a hearty thank you to the following judges for their time and patience: Amanda Charles (ACS), Vydia Bhagan (TSTT), Julian Wilkins (Digicel- Trinidad), Joyce Zijler (Ministry of Education – Suriname).

The Board of Directors and CANTO Secretariat extend a happy World Telecommunication and Information Society Day to its membership and urge all to make a better life in rural communities with ICTs.

End

For further information visit http://www.canto.org/canto2011/wtisd/index2.htm or contact Tricia Balthazar at: tbalthazar@canto.org,

May 17th 2011, Trinidad & Tobago