 improve the local economic situation and build a more diversified economy has come to a successful end with a prize-giving ceremony held recently at the office of the Ministry of Education. Chris Satney picks up that story. The essay competition, which was organized by the St. Lucian Analyzer, a group of young St. Lucians living overseas, drew participation from several young minds attempting to solve the island's economic woes through careful research and analysis with a view to presenting proposals that would help raise the standard of living of all St. Lucians. The organizers have received the commendation of Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Senator Hon. Dr. Pauline Antoine Prosper for their foresight in putting the island's youth at the forefront of solving the country's fiscal issues. Our St. Lucian young men who, as much as they live overseas, have shown an interest in the development of youth in St. Lucian. You must be applauded for your efforts, for your writing, for your engagement with the youth. We are so very pleased. I wish all the young men who had traveled overseas would have joined with you to engage our youth because our youth is the future of our country. And I do not have enough words to thank you for organizing this essay competition. Participants wrote pieces of 500 to 800 words on varying topics, including the cannabis decriminalization, the retraining of the St. Lucian workforce, as well as the use of robotics amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In the end, Lincoln Francis won the top prize of $1,000, while Chelsea Dilsack was awarded second place and $600, and sedan Hadid received third place and $400. Top prize winner Lincoln Francis thinks the way forward for the country in dealing with its fiscal challenges is to invest in the digitization of business and many other traditional processes. And I see COVID-19 as a really, something like, I wouldn't want to use the term great recess because I know there's a lot of baggage to it, but it has presented the opportunity for change. And I think that we can still ride that wave as St. Lucian's in changing and doing things differently in terms of education, in terms of businesses. So I really do think that COVID-19 as much as it has cost lives has really presented a catalyst for change. The Ministry of Education facilitated the judging aspects of the competition and a presentation of prizes on behalf of the St. Lucian Analyzer. Acting Chief Education Officer Cyrus Sepele says competitions of this nature have in developing critical and analytical thinking among St. Lucian youth in becoming champions for change and for solving the problems of their generation. Not persons who will just simply develop a knowledge or to have content-based knowledge. I'm sure now you have been participated in this competition. Were you able to come up with that piece? I'm sure it was not just simply you go on the internet, copy and paste and put it there. You're able to critically analyze the situation and use your skills both in terms of the language and other areas to bring together a piece that now that you've been awarded. Organizers are said to be looking forward to continuing the ESIC competition with the rollout of a 2022 component on another challenging topic aimed at developing the youth and the country in general. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, I am Chris Satney reporting.