ST. GEORGE’S GRENADA: Twelve successful applicants of the National Ozone Unit scholarship program will be awarded scholarships to pursue the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) program at T.A. Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) for the year 2011-2012, at an official ceremony tomorrow Friday September 16, 2011, at the T. A. Marryshow Community College at 1:00 pm. A scholarship committee comprising of representatives from the National Training Agency (NTA), Ministry of Education, T. A. M. C. C., Grenada Refrigeration Air-conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA) and the National Ozone Unit (NOU), selected the successful candidates from over 20 applications received. Successful applicants were required to meet the T. A. M. C. C. entry level requirements and write a 300 word essay based on the topic “How the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (RAC) Industry can protect the Stratospheric Ozone Layer”. Other factors considered in the selection process included: economic need, geographic representation and gender equity. This is the second year of the scholarship programme. The program is scheduled to be completed in the year 2015. This programme is one of the activities included in Grenada’s Hydrochlofluorcarbons (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. Students pursuing the RAC programme at T. A. M. C. C. would be exposed to training in Good Refrigeration Practices aimed at preventing the release of harmful ozone depleting refrigerant gases into the atmosphere. These gases damage the stratospheric ozone layer and allow excessive amounts of harmful ultra violet light to reach the earth’s surface. This results in serious health problems for humans, reduction in plant growth and yields and acceleration in the degradation of materials in nature. Partnering with the NOU in this project for the second straight year is the Grenada Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and Ventilating Association (GRAVA). GRAVA is providing the students with toolkits consisting of tools needed for their practical classes. The scholarships provided cover all fees related to T. A. M. C. C. inclusive of, books, uniforms, tuition and other fees, as well as, a selection of basic tools. During 2010/2011 academic year ten (10) students benefitted from the program. A total of twenty-two (22) students are beneficiaries of the program thus far. One of the students- Denis Lyons – is currently on the Dean’s List at TAMCC, with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of over 3.5 on a 4.0 grading system. To date the total funds committed by the NOU for the two years of the scholarship program is in excess of EC $20, 000.00. Funding is made available by the Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as the implementing agency The following is a list of the successful applicants for the NOU/GRAVA Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Scholarship Program for the year 2011/2012: Name Address School____ 1. Klinsman Bedeau Gouyave, St. John’s Mc Donald College 2. Curtly Collymore Mt. Silly, St. Andrew’s St. And. Ang. Sec. School 3. Dinard Charles Bonair, St. Mark’s St. Mark’s Secondary 4. Ron Darbeau Bonair, St. Mark’s St. Mark’s Secondary 5. Shaquille George Windsor Forest, St. David’s Happy Hill Secondary 6. Floyd Gooding Mt. Plasir, St. John’s P.B.C. 7. Alison James La Tante, St. David’s Grenville Secondary Sch 8. Levon Jeremiah Munich, St. Andrew’s Grenville Secondary Sch 9. Chad Licorish Vincennes, St. David’s Grenada Boys Sec. Sch 10. Damien Matthew Morne Fendue, St. Patrick’s Mc Donald College 11. Dillon Pollydore Windward, Carriacou Hillsborough, Carriacou 12. Casmir Thomas Westerhall, St. George’s Grenada Boys Sec. Sch. The date of tomorrow’s presentation coincides with the International Day for the Protection of the Ozone Layer as declared by the United Nations General Assembly and is celebrated world-wide every year.