Shayron Tower
Biography
Shayron Tower is the founder and director of The Corn Islands Virtual Library. He is a professional in intercultural and digital communication, a cultural promoter, photographer, and an advocate for intercultural education, environmental sustainability, and youth wellbeing.
As a born and raised Corn Islander, from an early age, he demonstrated an interest in the history and culture of his hometown, leading him to promote the identity of his community through radio broadcasting, social media, and a television program he founded during his teenage years called Juventud al Aire.
He was a member and pianist of Island Starts, a youth band that played Caribbean and local traditional music. Other of Shayron's efforts to support and promote local heritage included documenting traditional activities such as Maypole celebrations, Christmas Carols, and the islands' Emancipation Day. Collaboration with researchers, academics, governmental institutions and the media has also been part of his endeavours, as well as doing presentations abroad about Nicaragua and the Caribbean in places like the Czech Republic's University of Hradec Kralové, and local high schools of Hradec Kralové, and at the University of Sussex, in the United Kingdom.
Occasionally, Shayron visits secondary schools on the Corn Islands to discuss diverse topics with young students, including nurturing love for and preserving the local identity. He also contributes articles about the islands to various media platforms and regularly conducts local research to gather oral resources.
With his project "The Creoles of the Nicaribbean," he won the national competition ExpoPhoto Nicaragua in 2020. Through his work, he skillfully captured the distinctive characteristics of the Afrodescendant Creole people from Great Corn Island and Pearl Lagoon. The primary objective of his photographs was to dispel prevalent stereotypes associated with the Creole ethnic group and to promote an anti-racism message.
In August 2021, he founded The Corn Islands Virtual Library, a platform for locals and academics to explore the island's rich heritage. This project, funded by the STS Initiative, was formally launched online on 1 May 2023. Thanks to the dedication of individuals from the islands committed to preserving historical evidence, the website boasts a wealth of information.
Although Shayron has worked in other areas of his community and country like tourism, education, and youth wellbeing, it is particularly noteworthy to highlight his efforts in preserving the history and identity of his hometown, the Corn Islands.
Degrees
Publications
• Assessment of the everyday use and formal learning of the Creole language in the municipality of Corn Island in the Southern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region of Nicaragua (2021)
