EXXONMOBIL Guyana Limited (EMGL), on Saturday, hosted a capacity-building session for the top 20 national finalists in the fourth annual SHOUT4Change competition, as part of efforts to strengthen environmental awareness and leadership among Guyanese youth.
The immersive session formed a key component of the competition’s developmental programme and focused on expanding participants’ understanding of environmental sustainability, conservation practices, and the role of industry in supporting Guyana’s low-carbon development agenda.
ExxonMobil Guyana Limited partnered with Recover Guyana and the Ministry of Education to support the national environmental speech competition, known as SHOUT4Change.
During the session, ExxonMobil Guyana’s representatives provided the finalists with an operational update on the company’s activities, including presentations on environmental management systems and sustainability initiatives linked to the country’s rapidly expanding energy sector.
Participants also received a presentation from the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development on the Guyana Conservation Initiative (GCI), which aligns with Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030.
The initiative, funded through a multi-year grant from the ExxonMobil Foundation and implemented by Iwokrama alongside Environmental Management Consultants Inc. (EMC), supports public awareness campaigns on marine conservation, ecosystem restoration, livelihood development, and community-based environmental projects in coastal and hinterland communities.
As part of the experiential learning component, finalists later toured the Mangrove Information Centre under the guidance of EMC and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute. The exercise exposed students to the role mangroves play in coastal protection, biodiversity preservation, and climate resilience.
The SHOUT4Change competition is designed to encourage environmental advocacy and public speaking among young people while promoting greater awareness of sustainability challenges and solutions in Guyana.
The competition unfolds in four stages. During the second phase, the top 20 finalists are required to deliver 90-second prepared speeches focused on STEM-based environmental solutions. The third round will narrow the field to 10 contestants competing in an impromptu segment aimed at testing critical thinking and subject knowledge, while the final round will see the top four participants responding to a comprehensive environmental question to determine the 2026 national youth environmental speaker.
Organisers said the winning school will receive a $1 million grant to support an environmental advancement project, along with one year of free fibre internet service from One Communications. Individual prizes for the top four students include laptops, internet service, and education vouchers valued at up to $100,000.
In recognition of mentorship efforts, the teacher of the winning student will also receive a trip to Kaieteur Falls.
Recover Guyana said the SHOUT initiative forms part of its broader environmental education programme, which also includes ENGAGE, a nationwide green entrepreneurship initiative supported by Scotiabank Guyana, and Project FLOW, a sustainability programme targeting more than 100 secondary, technical, and special needs schools across the country.
