Bajan students end Trinis’ four-year reign in cross-border AI stock market game

Barbados has dethroned four-time defending champions Trinidad and Tobago to claim the Caribbean Title Trophy in an artificial intelligence-driven virtual stock market game, in what regional education and market leaders hailed as a pivotal moment for financial literacy and technology-led learning across CARICOM.

The five winners of the Caribbean Title Trophy in the WizdomCRM Virtual Stock Market Game were toasted at the Ministry of Educational Transformation, where educators, regional stakeholders and financial sector leaders gathered to recognise the island’s top five players from the September to December 2025 cycle and chart the next phase of technology-driven education across the region.

Barbados Stock Exchange chief executive Marlon Yarde described the moment as transformational. “It is my distinct pleasure on behalf of the Barbados Stock Exchange to welcome you to what is not only our second awards ceremony, but a moment that truly signals a new era in financial education in the Caribbean,” he said.

Highlighting the magnitude of the accomplishment, he stressed that Barbados had secured “a first for our country and an achievement of which we can be immensely proud”, while crediting regional collaboration and innovation for driving the breakthrough.

Loki Clarke, Noah Clarke, Theon Birkett, Sarrayah Yearwood and Ajani Webster Worrell emerged victorious from a competitive field involving students trading virtual portfolios across regional and international stock markets.

The contest was redefining how students engage with finance and technology, Yarde said.

“Financial literacy today goes far beyond saving and spending. It is about understanding market risks, data, technology, and opportunity. It is about equipping our young people not merely to participate in the economy, but to lead and transform it.”

He emphasised that the AI-driven game allowed students to experience real-world decision-making through “generative AI and gamification to create a real-world learning experience”, noting that participants were developing critical thinking skills needed across professions.

The Barbados Stock Exchange head also pointed to the long-term economic implications of the programme, explaining that today’s participants could become tomorrow’s industry leaders.

“Tomorrow’s investors, issuers, entrepreneurs, and regulators are sitting in today’s classrooms.”

Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw described the victory as a historic turning point for the education system, noting the achievement ended four consecutive years of Trinidad and Tobago’s dominance in the regional competition.

She said: “Today, Barbados celebrates a historic milestone. We have officially claimed the Caribbean Title Trophy, ending four consecutive years of Trinidad and Tobago’s dominance.”

For her, the win reflected the island’s broader education reform agenda and commitment to equipping students with 21st-century skills.

“We firmly believe that initiatives such as this AI-driven game, among others, position our students to be global digital citizens ready to make their mark in a rapidly evolving world.”

Data from the competition showed Barbadian students were highly engaged across regional markets, completing 128 960 trades on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) and 27 379 trades on the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange (TTSE). Their strongest investment focus was within the transport, consumer products and goods, and travel and leisure industries.

Several schools were credited with leading the island’s performance, including Alexandra, Queen’s College, St Michael’s, Combermere, Frederick Smith Secondary, Harrison College and Grantley Adams Memorial.

Special commendation was given to Clarke, who executed 113 873 trades, placing first, followed by Noah Clarke, who recorded 34 286 trades.

Archer-Bradshaw said the initiative was reshaping how students learn about money and career pathways.

“This initiative, which is grounded both in financial literacy and the development of digital competencies, is designed to transform how our students engage with the concept of money at an early age.”

She added that regional collaboration remained critical to the programme’s success.

“This year’s theme, ‘Connected for Impact, Empowering CARICOM through AI, Financial Literacy, and Regional Collaboration’, reminds us that this is not only about academic achievement. It also is about preparing our students for a world shaped by technology, driven by data, and defined by regional and global connectivity.”

Clarke credited the competition with reshaping his career ambitions while encouraging other students to participate: “I didn’t really stand a chance. That’s what I thought when I first started. I didn’t really, I surprised myself in the end with how well I did.”

While declining to reveal his full trading strategy, he acknowledged his focus on regional markets.

“This cycle I really focused on, as mentioned before, the Jamaican markets… My main strategy would be basically buying and selling Trinidad, Trinidad and Jamaican stocks basically daily.”

Clarke also credited the AI platform with expanding his future opportunities.

“I think the game has really helped me with this AI platform in developing my skills and also financial literacy… my career path has been completely altered.”

Regional communications supervisor at RF Merchant Bank and Trust, Ethan Knowles, underscored the importance of the programme for youth development across the Caribbean.

He said: “We’re very pleased to support this programme which is empowering young people across the Caribbean to pursue flourishing financial futures, and we look forward to the continued success of the Wizdom AI platform.”

The programme originated during the COVID-19 pandemic when WizdomCRM Caribbean Limited responded to a request for innovative remote learning solutions, said country manager Charielle Plowden. 

“WizdomCRM was actually birthed in the pandemic when the Ministry of Education put out a request for initiatives to engage students while they were learning at home.”

The game provides participants with US$25 000 ($50 000) in virtual funds to practise budgeting and investing across multiple cross-border exchanges while benefiting from built-in AI tutors.

“We believe that every child should have an AI assistant at the palm of their hands,” said Plowden. “That AI assistant supports them with their learning abilities.”

The initiative is to be expanded across the Caribbean, including Cayman Islands and Bahamas, while strengthening collaboration among stock exchanges, ministries and regional education bodies.