Santa Clara, California: April 29, 2019 – Symptai Consulting Ltd announced its USD1500 sponsorship of the Palisadoes Foundation’s fourth annual Calico Challenge. This marks the conclusion of a successful collaboration between Symptai, the Jamaica Computing Society, the Palisadoes Foundation, the UWI Computing Society and the University of Technology IEEE Student Branch.
The Calico Challenge is a summer work study program for computer science students in Jamaica. Each selected student works on enhancing open source software used internationally under the guidance of a Jamaican mentor. Students receive a USD1500 stipend for their participation which is incrementally paid upon the achievement of specified milestones. Calico is also a feeder program for the similar Google Summer of Code.
“We welcome Symptai’s support of Calico in our common goal of developing a stronger nation through the empowerment of the future Jamaican technical workforce.” said Peter Harrison, President of the Palisadoes Foundation, “The endorsement clearly illustrates how Jamaicans around the world can collaborate in outreach activities to make an impact in not just in education but in engineering too.”
More information can be found on the Palisadoes Foundation website: http://www.palisadoes.org
About the Calico Challenge
Calico was conceived by The Palisadoes Foundation in conjunction with the Jamaica Diaspora Technology Task Force. There has been close technical collaboration between the Foundation; the University of the West Indies (UWI) Department of Computing, Mona; the UWI Computing Society; and the University of Technology IEEE Students Branch to identify open source projects, student sub-projects and mentors.
About Symptai Consulting
Founded in 1998, Symptai Consulting Ltd is an IT Advisory and Assurance Company that is tremendously experienced in delivering advisory and assurance services.
Symptai has offices in Kingston, Jamaica, and Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. Symptai has contributed greatly to improving the perception of auditors and control professionals in the Caribbean. This has resulted in auditors with increased efficiency and effectiveness through the introduction of new data analysis techniques and concepts, and automating their control functions.
Symptai possess an enviable track record; performing highly technical information systems audits for clients over the past eighteen (18) years. Symptai also provides mentoring to government ministries and agencies. For years the company has delivered software and lecturers to dominant universities in Jamaica.
About the Palisadoes Foundation
The California based Palisadoes Foundation aims to provide new avenues to promote Jamaica’s technology businesses and talent using a series of programs aimed at creating increased awareness of the island’s abilities in the global marketplace.
About the University of Technology IEEE Student Branch
Like the IEEE, the branch’s core purpose is to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. It is the first IEEE student branch to be registered in Jamaica and meets regularly to develop the young minds that will create a better Jamaica.
About the UWI Computing Society
The vision for this society is to become a launching pad for the development and exposure of the computing students of the University of the West Indies, with particular focus on undergraduate students. This Society is also envisioned to be a medium by which the university population and the wider society may become more computer literate as well as educated in the efficient use of ICT in the industry and the wider society.
About the Jamaica Diaspora Technology Task Force
The Jamaica Diaspora Technology Task Force is a group of expatriate Jamaicans interested in assisting in the continued development of new and existing technologies in Jamaica. It is a member of the Jamaica Diaspora Movement
My name is Matthew Andrew Oswald Patterson. I attended St. George’s College and I am now pursuing a degree in Computer Science at the University of The West Indies (UWI) Mona. I applied to the Calico program so that I can receive guidance as to how to approach and contribute to open source projects. Time didn’t allow me to do it before. Whether this is an excuse or not, throwing myself in the deep end or doing it alone, without mentorship were not grand ideas to me. Thus, Calico presented the perfect opportunity to capitalize this aspiration.
My name is Ranil Wallace, a second year student at the University of Technology, Jamaica, pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. One of my favourite things to do is problem solving. It is something that I am good at, which is why I enjoy programming so much. I have experience in Javascript, and it’s frameworks such as React JS, React Native and Angular. I also have experience in NoSQL databases such as mongoDB, as well as the Javascript runtime environment NodeJS. Recently, I have been venturing into user-interface design. I look forward to Calico, as it will allow me to gain more experience in the open-source community, as well as improve my teamwork skills and problem solving abilities.
Dominic is a burgeoning mathematician and science enthusiast that has a vested interest in developing cost-effective educational tools to enhance science education and communication in the developing world. He has a BSc. from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, a postgraduate diploma from the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical physics and is currently pursing an M.Phil from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, in Kingston, Jamaica. He is a twice selected Leader of Tomorrow of the St. Gallen Symposium as well as the first Jamaican selected for the CERN Summer Student Programme. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Royal Commonwealth Society and has participated in many international programmes aimed at nurturing young scientists and thought leaders, such as the Think Summit Global Solutions, Heidelberg Laureate Forum and, most recently, the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.