Randy Mangal of Skeldon Linepath Secondary School was named Top National Youth Environmental Advocate on Friday after winning Recover Guyana’s SHOUT4Change competition, which challenged students to propose solutions to environmental issues in schools.
The four-stage contest, held on World Environment Day at the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel, brought together finalists from 20 secondary schools across the country and focused on environmental protection, leadership and STEM-based solutions.
Mangal’s winning proposal centres on converting waste into usable school infrastructure, including seating and vertical gardens, as well as introducing water refill stations to reduce plastic bottle use. He received a laptop, one year of free internet service and an education voucher worth $100,000.
Bhomika Singh of Tagore Memorial High School placed second, while Brandon Holder of Hope Secondary School and Orlando Reynolds of President’s College placed third and fourth respectively. All finalists received laptops, internet service and education vouchers of varying value.
The final round featured prepared speeches, impromptu presentations and a question segment focused on how students would integrate STEM-based solutions into environmental projects if given funding.
Recover Guyana founder and president Dave Lalltoo said the 2026 edition marked an expansion of the programme’s focus on youth empowerment through STEM integration and practical environmental learning. He said the competition received more than 70 submissions at the initial stage.
ExxonMobil Guyana supported the initiative. Socioeconomic Manager Lorna Carlson said the programme aligned with the company’s approach of balancing energy development with environmental protection.
Additional sponsors included Scotiabank Guyana, One Communications, Massy Stores Guyana, GuyOil, Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel and others.
The competition, first held in 2023, has previously been won by students from Queen’s College, whose projects included water purification, hydroponics gardening and waste reduction initiatives.
