KPMG Brain Bowl Academic Tournament

The Brain Bowl Academic Tournament is a Jeopardy-style general knowledge competition, with questions focused on high school academic subjects. Teams from local schools are tested on various subjects, including Mathematics, English, Science, Caribbean History and current events.

Uniting local schools and encouraging pupils to stretch their academic abilities, the annual Brain Bowl also aims to get pupils to work as a team and develop their critical thinking skills.

On Wednesday, October 9, 2024, KPMG proudly hosted the 11th Annual KPMG Brain Bowl Academic Tournament at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman.

All high schools across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac were invited to participate in the Jeopardy-style event. Thirteen schools competed, with approximately 90 students in attendance.

The students delivered outstanding performances. Special congratulations go to Cayman Prep & High School, who secured first place for the third consecutive year. Triple C School and John Gray High School earned second and third place, respectively.

The Brain Bowl, a longstanding academic tradition for over a decade, aims to unite local schools and inspire students to strengthen their academic skills, collaborate effectively, and sharpen their critical thinking. Under timed conditions, teams were tested on subjects including Mathematics, English, Science, Caribbean History, spelling, and current events.

The 2024 theme, Innovation and Digitization, celebrated the technological advancements that have supported students and schools over the years. Code(Cayman) and TechCayman joined the event, showcasing a robot that students could interact with. Niko Whittaker, Local Talent Development Partner at KPMG LLP, introduced special guest speaker Dr. Chris Joseph, Higher Education Leader and Innovator at the International College of the Cayman Islands (ICCI). Dr. Joseph spoke about the future of AI, the importance of emotional intelligence, and the evolving digital landscape of the Cayman Islands.

Each school entered a team of five students from various high school grade levels. KPMG provided academic resources, guidelines, and study tools to help teams prepare.

First-place winners received mini projectors, and their school was awarded a $5,000 gift voucher for educational supplies. Second-place students received Fujifilm Instax cameras, while third-place winners were gifted smartwatches.

Distinguished guests included Hon. Isaac Rankine, Minister of Youth, Sports & Heritage; Hon. Kenneth Bryan, MP, Minister for Tourism & Ports; Mr. Elroy Bryan, Acting Deputy Chief Officer for the Ministry of Education; Mr. Mark Ray, Director of the Department of Education Services; and Mrs. Kimberly Kirkconnell, Senior Customer Services Manager at the Department of Education Services.

KPMG’s leadership was well represented, with Managing Partner Wanda Mellaneo in attendance. Yuri Williams, Local Career Development Partner, served as the tournament moderator, and Joel Dodson, Partner and Head of Citizenship, acted as Master of Ceremonies. Many KPMG team members volunteered as judges, scorekeepers, and event staff.

Parents and guests were invited to support the students during the final rounds in the afternoon. The event was also livestreamed on the KPMG in the Cayman Islands YouTube Channel, allowing family and friends to cheer on the teams throughout the day.

The following schools participated:

• Cayman Prep School and High School: 1st place 
• Triple C School: 2nd place
• John Gray High School: 3rd place
• Calvary Baptist Christian School
• Cayman Academy
• Cayman International School 
• CF School
• Clifton Hunter High School
• Grace Christian Academy
• Layman E. Scott High School (from Cayman Brac)
• St. Ignatius Catholic School
• Wesleyan Christian Academy
• Year 12 Dual Enrollment