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St. James Secondary School captured the top prize at the 2026 RBC Young Leaders programme, with its project, WORM – Waste Optimization Resilience Movement.
The initiative earned the school $100,000 to tackle school waste through biological innovation and practical design.
Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College secured second place and $50,000 for designing a progressive school-based ecosystem featuring plant walls, a greenhouse, and recycled-material seating, all supported by rainwater harvesting and simple irrigation systems. Battery-powered sensors allow students to collect real-time temperature and air quality data, turning the campus into a living science lab.
In third position was Holy Faith Convent, Couva, with Bottle Back, a student-led initiative that transforms plastic waste into real environmental and financial value using two-bin sorting systems, AC condensate recovery, and bottle-drip irrigation to cut campus waste and water usage simultaneously. The programme funds green spaces at the school and strengthens disaster preparedness. They earned $25,000 for their efforts.
The three-month RBC Young Leaders programme challenged Form IV students to develop practical, community-focused solutions aligned with this year’s theme: Resilient by Design — Innovating for Climate and Community.
Also participating in this year’s competition were Bishop Anstey High School (Port-of-Spain), Holy Name Convent, Maple Leaf International School, Signal Hill Secondary School, and St. Stephen’s College.
Managing Director RBC Royal Bank Trinidad and Tobago, Marc Jardine is a former Young Leader.
“I’m standing here as a managing director because someone once decided to invest in a young person — and that investment changed everything,” Jardine told those gathered at the awards ceremony.
He added: “The Young Leaders Programme gives students a real challenge, real support, and a real platform. Watching them walk in as students and walk out as problem-solvers, presenters, and leaders — that transformation is the best investment we can make.”
Special awards were also given for Best Written proposal, which went to Maple Leaf International School, and Most Innovative Proposal, which was won by St James Secondary. Niti Sharma of Lakshmi Girls’ Hindu College was recognised as Best Individual Presenter while her school was recognised for delivering the Best Presentation.
Emcees for the awards ceremony, which was held at Courtyard Marriott, were Patrick “Hypeman” Alexis and Shevonne Metivier.
The RBC Young Leaders program continues to serve as a platform for developing the next generation of change-makers. The programme is also hosted in The Bahamas, and Cayman Islands with Barbados hosting its inaugural competition this year.
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