Press Office

Today we feature Deandrew Moore one of our 2020 Calico Challenge participants.

Hey there, I am Deandrew Moore, a first-generation college student pursuing a BSc. in Computer Science at The University of the West Indies, Mona. I am also a proud past student of the deCarteret College High School in Mandeville, Manchester.

I became familiar with the Palisadoes Foundation programme, Calico in first year. I applied but wasn’t accepted. This time however I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the programme and contributing to Jamaica’s open source development. The programme is one that will continue to elevate my Software Engineering journey, as it provides real-world exposure to the industry’s best practices.

My passion for technology also stretches to exposing youngsters from at-risk or underprivileged communities to tech and shifting their focus to the limitless possibilities there exists. That situation is one I can relate to, believing that no matter where you are from, you can rise above your circumstances. We must continue to bridge the gaps in our respect ways, as tech is important to Jamaica attaining the fourth industrial revolution and transitioning to a quaternary sector.

Outside of the tech space I love football, working out at the gym, trying new cuisines and enjoying nature.

The Palisadoes Foundation has had a close partnership with the Jamaica Computer Society since the first year of the Calico Challenge. We recently interviewed JCS President Stacey Hines about the various challenges faced by her, the JCS and the industry. It’s a very insightful discussion.

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 the Jamaica Computer Society (JCS)
Founded in 1975, The Jamaica Computer Society’s mission is to provide leadership in the promotion of the efficient and effective use of Information Technology in Jamaica. JCS conferences have been distinguished by the participation of presenters and attendees from across the globe including the Caribbean, USA, Canada, UK and Europe

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 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.

Javier Bryan, a 2019 participant in our annual Calico Challenge was featured in the Star Newspaper in Jamaica. He created a prototype healthcare monitoring tool in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more about his experience here.

You can hear Javier and his team discuss their Calico Challenge project management mobile app in our YouTube presentation below. Once named Quito, the app has been renamed Talawa and one of two primary projects for the 2020 Calico Challenge. Four four students with their mentors are working on making it a feature rich, stable mobile app for use by churches, and businesses by the end of the year.

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 the Jamaica Computer Society (JCS)
Founded in 1975, The Jamaica Computer Society’s mission is to provide leadership in the promotion of the efficient and effective use of Information Technology in Jamaica. JCS conferences have been distinguished by the participation of presenters and attendees from across the globe including the Caribbean, USA, Canada, UK and Europe

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 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.

This is the fifth year of our annual Calico Challenge. RealDecoy manager, Michael Dann, made a presentation about the importance of the internship program to both UWI and UTech students.

The turn out at both events was strong and as you can see we had a little fun!

UTech IEEE Student Branch

February 6, 2020

UWI Computing Society

February 13, 2020

About the UTech IEEE Student Branch
Like the IEEE, the branch’s core purpose is to foster technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. The club is the first IEEE student branch to be registered in Jamaica. The meets on Thursdays from 3-4 pm, during the University’s Clubs & Societies’ time in room 1B3 – Engineering Building, first floor. Team members can sometimes be found in our “IEEE lab” – 1A64, across from the Telecommunications Lab also on the Engineering building. The active membership continues Utech’s trend of excellence and innovation, developing young minds to create a better Jamaica.

About The UWI Mona 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 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 the Palisadoes Foundation
The California-based Palisadoes Foundation aims to provide new avenues of promoting Jamaica’s technology businesses and talent by using a series of programs which create increased awareness of the island’s abilities in the global marketplace.

Calico Challenge 2019 student participants Javier Bryan, Phillip Llewellyn and Dimitri Johnson present their work on the Quito Open Source project.