Laptops and tablets courtesy Digicel (Trinidad and Tobago) Limited and plane tickets to Tobago courtesy the national carrier, Caribbean Airlines, are up for grabs in the National Library and Information System Authority’s (NALIS) organised ‘Know Your Country Quiz’. Activities related to the quiz, which commenced in March, targets Form Three students.

This quiz, the brain child of NALIS’ Educational Library Services Division (ELSD), has been developed to boost students’ self-confidence, foster team spirit and support their educational and recreational needs; enhance critical thinking, listening, comprehensive, vocabulary and digital literacy skills as well as to develop a respect and appreciation for this country’s cultural identities.

Quiz questions pertain to the historical, cultural, social and religious aspects of Trinidad and Tobago. At each stage of the competition, participants are expected to field questions related to towns and villages, government, food, sports, festivals, places of interest and biographies, to name a few areas.

Sixteen schools participated in the preliminary stage of the competition which was administered by library staff of School Library Media Centres (SLMC). Advancing to the semi-final stage of the quiz are nine schools: Trinity College East, St. Benedict’s College, Point Fortin West Secondary, ASJA Girl’s College, Charlieville; Five Rivers Secondary; Belmont Secondary School; St. Francois Girls’ College; Rio Claro East Secondary and Cunupia Secondary. Three students, along with an alternate, will represent each school in the Semis which will be held physically during the month of June 2022 to determine which three schools will advance to the Finals. In the event of a tie, additional tie- breaker rounds will be administered until such time as the tie is broken.

Primatie Persad, Director Educational Library Services Division is delighted at the response to the quiz by secondary schools. She said, “I am thrilled that principals and teachers see the need for their students to participate in such activities. Competitions like these promote local content and foster an appreciation for our rich national and cultural heritage.” The role of the ELSD is to support the Ministry of Education’s school curriculum and to contribute to the learning process.

Sponsors Digicel (Trinidad and Tobago) Limited and Caribbean Airlines are equally elated to be part of such a worthy project. Trijata Maraj, Director of Marketing & Digital Services, Digicel said, “It is important that we preserve our culture and stimulate pride in our heritage. We are pleased to support the ELSD of NALIS with this initiative, and happy to see the level of participation of the schools and students.” Dionne Ligoure, Head of Corporate Communications at Caribbean Airlines in commenting said, “As the leading airline serving Trinidad and Tobago and the region as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility programme, we are happy to support the NALIS Library’s ‘Know Your Country Quiz’ which encourages our young citizens to learn more about our incredible twin island state and all that it offers. We congratulate all the schools that have participated thus far and extend our best wishes to all the students who have since advanced to the semi-final round of the competition. You are all winners!”