Brain Bee winner, Makalani Manwarring from Grenada Boys
Secondary School, St. George’s, receives his award from  Dr C.V. Rao,
Dean of Students, St. George's University, Grenada

For the very first time, a community-based Neuro-Education project broke the ice and emerged as a captivating enigma in the eyes of the general Grenadian public, being supported and branded by the corporate sector, the people and Government of Grenada. Grenada is a tri-island nation comprising Grenada mainland, Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

The concept and design for the 2009 Brain Awareness Week program in Grenada involved the establishment of the Grenada National Brain Bee Challenge, with the Grand Finale, held on March 21, 2009 at the St. George's University Charter Hall, under full press (electronic and print) coverage. The event was advertised via print and electronic media, as a news item, radio jingle, press conference, handbills and posters and road banners.

The Grenada National Brain Bee Challenge (GNBBC) was a competition for secondary school students, forms III-V, ages 12-18. It was fashioned after a traditional Spelling Bee, except that students answered questions about the brain and neuroscience research. It was designed to stimulate interest and excitement about the brain and brain research amongst secondary school students. The GNBBC is affiliated to the International Brain Bee (IBB).

The preparation for the Grand Finale began with a preliminary screening and media launch of the competition on November 27, 2008 at the True Blue Campus of the St. George's University. An initial 188 students from 19 secondary schools registered either online or on a prescribed registration form. Subsequently, four Local Brain Bee (LBB) competitions were held around the Island. The first took place at the Grenada Boys Secondary School, Tanteen, St. George's on January 15, 2009; the second on January 22, 2009 at the Grenville Secondary School, Rivulet Lane, Grenville, St. Andrew's Parish; then January 29, 2009 at the Mac Donald College, Sauteurs, St. Patrick's; and the last zone was on February 5, 2009 at St. Joseph's Convent, St. George's. All zonal competitions were keenly contested and of very high quality. The questions for the competitions are generated by a team of experts from St. George's University School of Medicine from the resource material "Brain Facts" a publication, provided free of charge by the Society for Neuroscience, USA. The contesting young men and women from all over Grenada competed to determine who is the "Best Brain" on topics such as intelligence, memory, emotions, sensations, movement, stress, aging, sleep, addiction, Alzheimer's, and stroke.

Brain exhibition with fixed whole specimens

At the end of each zonal competition, the "last five students standing", automatically qualified for the National Grand Finale. In addition, the competition determined their positions for the award of prizes to the individual competitors and their respective schools. Prizes included a certificate of participation, a letter of invitation to the finals, positional medallions for the top three contestants and a first place award trophy to the best competitor for the zone.

The Brain Awareness Week event, which was a first for Spice Island, Grenada, had in attendance the Prime Minister of Grenada, Hon. Tilman Thomas; the Minister of Health and Environment, Hon. Karl Hood; the Minister of State for Health; the Provost of St. George's University; the Dean of students of the University; the Dean of Academic Affairs; the Dean, School of  Veterinary Medicine; the MD, Grenada Co-operative Bank; MD, National Insurance Scheme, Grenada; MD, GRENLEC; GM, Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN); COE, Hubbards, along with several Faculty members and students from St. George's University. Scores of secondary school students representing most of the schools in Grenada, and parents and relatives of competing finalists were also present. The press crew from GBN (TV/Radio), Flow Communications (Cable TV) and the press from several newspapers covered the event. An estimated 485 persons made up the audience for this event.

The last eleven students from six secondary schools represented at the Grand Finale of the Grenada Co-operative Bank 2009 National Brain Bee Challenge gave an excellent account of themselves as they precisely answered questions that would have perplexed the vast majority of their audience.

The students performed remarkably well but by the tenth round of the competition, three males distinguished themselves from the rest after the elimination of all other competitors. Sean Mahbubani of Westmoreland Secondary, and Allandro Williams and Makalani Manwarring of the Grenada Boys Secondary School, kept their audience at the very edges of their seats, waiting to see how they would rank in the top three. After an exhilarating, electrifying, breathtaking and enthralling 22 rounds, the matter was finally settled with Makalani Manwarring capturing the title of "Best Brain", Sean Mahbubani coming in second place and Allandro Williams in the third place. The students received several prizes including cash awards and laptops each. Makalani Manwarring received a Certificate of National Representation from the Prime Minister, Hon. Tillman Thomas, along with a table-sized flag of Grenada. He will go on to compete, representing Grenada for the very first time, in the International Brain Bee Challenge to be held in Toronto, Canada, August 7-9, 2009.

Finalists on stage at the BAW Grand Finale

The Grenada National Brain Bee Challenge has motivated many students to learn more about the brain and has captured their imaginations. Many of them have indicated interest to pursue careers in biomedical brain research and medicine. For the Grand Finale, questions were drawn from the Brain Facts as well as a second resource material, "Neuroscience: Science of the Brain: An introduction to young students" (published by the Brain Neuroscience Association (UK), copyright International Brain Research Organization).

This community-based outreach project was based in the Histology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George's University School of Medicine, supported by the Ministries of Health and Environment; Education and Human Resource Development and sponsored by Grenada Co-operative Bank Ltd., St. George's University and Bryden & Minors. Other sponsors who came on board were GRENLEC, Air Jamaica, National Insurance Scheme [NIS], Hubbard's and Grenada Broadcasting Network [GNB]. This maiden edition had the Grenada Co-operative Bank as title sponsor, hence the competition the title "Grenada Co-operative Bank 2009 National Brain Bee Challenge".

The Grenada Co-operative Bank 2009 National Brain Bee Challenge was organized by a Local Organizing Committee comprising local volunteer members from different walks of life in Grenada, led by the national coordinator, Dr Francis A. Fakoya, Associate Professor of Histology and Cell Biology, Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine and Adjunct Research Professor, School of Veterinary Medicine, St. George's University, Grenada. Dr Tuula Jalonen, Associate Professor of Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, St. George's University School of Medicine, was the chief judge of the competitions.

We are proud to be a part of these international efforts to interest students and the general public in important neuroscience issues.

For further information, visit our web site http://www.grenadabrainbee.com

Dr Francis A. Fakoya
Associate Professor and National Coordinator
Grenada Co-operative Bank 2009 National Brain Bee Challenge
St. George's University, Grenada