KPMG Brain Bowl Put Academic Skills and Inclusion in Focus

By Stuart Wilson

The 13th annual KPMG Brain Bowl Academic Tournament was held on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, at the Azure Ballroom of Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman, with a programme centred on academic achievement, teamwork and inclusion.

Under the theme “Inclusion in Action: Empowering Every Voice,” the tournament aimed to encourage students to embrace diversity, appreciate different perspectives and help create an environment in which everyone felt heard and included.

All high schools across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac were invited, and organisers welcomed more than 100 students and teachers.

This year’s winners included, 1st place - Cayman International School (CIS); 2nd Place - St. Ignatius Catholic School, 3rd place - Clever Fish (CF) School.

The annual competition, which has been running for more than a decade, was designed to bring local schools together while helping pupils strengthen their academic abilities, develop critical thinking skills and work effectively as a team.

Under timed conditions, teams were to face questions across Mathematics, English, Science, Caribbean History, spelling and current events. The format challenged students to draw on their knowledge while collaborating with their teammates.

Participation was free, with each school permitted to enter one team comprising four players and a possible substitute. Students from Years 8 to 11 were eligible to compete, with KPMG providing academic resources, guidelines and study tools to support their preparation.

The planned programme also included interactive booths hosted by community partners Inclusion Cayman and Autism Acceptance. These were intended to give students opportunities to engage with the organisations during registration and explore the tournament’s inclusion theme.

KPMG partners and staff were assigned roles as moderators, judges and scorekeepers.

Members of Parliament, representatives of the Ministry of Education and other education officials also attended during the day.

Parents and other guests supported the students during the afternoon’s final rounds and the event was also live- streamed via the KPMG YouTube channel, allowing family members and friends to follow the competition remotely.

The announced prizes included Nintendo Switch Lite consoles for members of the first-place team, Fitbit Versa 4 fitness smartwatches for second place and JBL Clip Bluetooth speakers for third place.

A $5,000 award for educational supplies was designated for the winning school. In addition, the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman Sunrise was to present a Sportsmanship & Inclusion Award to the team that best demonstrated those values throughout the tournament.

Participating schools included Calvary Baptist Christian School, Cayman Academy, Cayman International School, Cayman Islands Further Education Centre, Cayman Prep School and High School, CF School, Clifton Hunter High School, Grace Christian Academy and John Gray High School, as well as the Layman E. Scott Sr. High School from Cayman Brac, St. Ignatius Catholic School, Triple C School, Wesleyan Christian Academy and Year 12 Dual Enrollment.

The previous year’s tournament had seen John Gray High School take first place, followed by Cayman International School in second and Triple C School in third.

For the 2026 edition, organisers placed inclusion alongside academic competition, with a programme intended to recognise both students’ knowledge and the way they supported and respected one another.