Carib Scope

分类： education

  • 500 Student Councillors Particpate In Three-Day National Workshop

    500 Student Councillors Particpate In Three-Day National Workshop

    A transformative three-day national leadership workshop for student councillors has drawn to a successful close in Antigua and Barbuda, bringing together nearly 500 emerging leaders from more than 42 public and private educational institutions spanning primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Organized as a joint effort between the country’s Ministry of Education and the National Student Council (NSC), the program was designed to equip young participants with the core knowledge and hands-on skills needed to elevate student advocacy, peer representation, and intentional leadership across the nation’s education system.

    Hosted on the campus of Island Academy International, the intensive workshop created a collaborative space for student leaders from all educational tiers to connect, learn, and build collective capacity. Unlike conventional informational sessions, the curriculum centered on empowering Student Councils to not only name challenges impacting their campuses and peer groups, but to unpack their root causes and build targeted solutions. Sessions covered the fundamental roles and responsibilities of formal student governance bodies, underscored the critical impact of authentic, meaningful student representation in school decision-making, and walked participants through frameworks for identifying campus-specific concerns.

    A defining core of the workshop was its intentional shift away from problem-focused discussion toward actionable, student-owned problem-solving. Over the three days, each participating student council worked through a structured action-planning process, drafting concrete initiatives tailored to the highest-priority challenges their campuses face, laying early groundwork for projects that will improve learning and community environments across the country.

    With training completed, councils across Antigua and Barbuda are now moving into the implementation phase, where they will launch student-led campaigns on their respective campuses. Kamalie Mannix, lead coordinator for the Student Council initiative, will continue providing ongoing guidance to schools as they roll out their plans, and will oversee tracking of student-led development projects across both islands. These campaigns will turn the workshop’s strategic plans into on-the-ground action, giving young leaders a tangible opportunity to drive positive change, address longstanding campus challenges, and strengthen their school communities from within.

    Education sector leaders frame the workshop as a pivotal milestone in the ongoing effort to reposition Student Councils as robust, meaningful platforms for youth participation, leadership, and advocacy. By arming councillors with foundational governance knowledge and practical planning skills, the NSC aims to boost young people’s ability to effectively represent their peers, organize collective action, and contribute constructively to institutional decision-making at the school level. In the weeks ahead, the NSC will prepare for its national High Council gathering, where elected student representatives will vote to install a new national executive body.

    Organizers also extended formal gratitude to Island Academy International, which donated use of its campus auditorium to host the three-day event. The institution’s partnership was instrumental to the workshop’s successful execution, highlighting how cross-institutional collaboration can advance youth leadership development across the education sector.

    As the NSC continues to strengthen its national operations, the organization’s immediate focus has shifted to supporting local councils as they implement their action plans, track progress toward their goals, and sustain their student-led initiatives over time. The program’s ultimate goal is to reshape student engagement in education governance: rather than merely being consulted on issues that impact their learning experiences, young people will be empowered to lead tangible, meaningful action that shapes the future of their education.

    The work of the National Student Council remains anchored in its three foundational core pillars: Representation, Mobilization, and Advocacy.

  • Preparing young people for tomorrow’s workforce must be a national priority, says Acting Prime Minister Dr. Hanley

    Preparing young people for tomorrow’s workforce must be a national priority, says Acting Prime Minister Dr. Hanley

    Basseterre, Saint Kitts – October 21, 2026: During his keynote address at the 2027 National Budget Forum held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort on October 20, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Education Dr. Geoffrey Hanley laid out a bold vision for aligning the country’s education and technical training systems with fast-evolving labor market demands, framing youth workforce preparedness as a non-negotiable national priority for driving long-term national prosperity.

    Dr. Hanley outlined six high-growth, high-potential sectors that will dominate Saint Kitts and Nevis’s job landscape in the coming years: construction, renewable energy, healthcare, sustainable agriculture, hospitality and tourism, and digital services. He emphasized that targeted skills development for these in-demand fields cannot be delayed until young people enter the job market, but must be integrated into formal K-12 and post-secondary learning pathways to set students up for seamless, successful transitions to stable, fulfilling careers.

    Beyond youth-focused skilling initiatives, the acting prime minister also called for expanded, accessible upskilling and retraining frameworks for working-age adults, paired with structured, ongoing public-private collaboration with local employers. He noted that direct partnerships with industry stakeholders will allow policymakers and education providers to identify unmet skills gaps in real time, and create more structured workplace apprenticeship, internship and on-the-job training opportunities for learners of all ages.

    Dr. Hanley anchored the policy push in a broader vision of inclusive national development, arguing that the most meaningful metric of economic progress is not raw GDP growth, but the ability of every young citizen to see a clear, viable path to build a secure, rewarding life and career within the borders of Saint Kitts and Nevis, rather than being forced to seek opportunity overseas. The address positioned targeted investment in the country’s human capital as the most sustainable strategy to boost national productivity, expand equitable employment access, and ensure all residents can contribute actively to the twin-island nation’s long-term development trajectory.

  • Een woordenlijst heeft ook voorbeeldzinnen nodig

    Een woordenlijst heeft ook voorbeeldzinnen nodig

    A common challenge in language learning reveals a persistent gap in traditional teaching materials: a student may memorize the direct translation of a new word, yet still use it incorrectly when constructing a sentence. A single translated entry on a vocabulary list cannot capture the nuance that a specific sentence context requires, and this problem has opened a conversation about improving language education curricula, particularly in Suriname’s language teaching frameworks.

    The core proposal put forward by independent writer and English educator Swaansh Mahat is simple but transformative: shift from bare translation-only vocabulary lists to lists that pair each word with one or more short, targeted example sentences. This reform retains the clean, accessible structure of standard vocabulary lists while demonstrating how words function in real, concrete communicative situations, eliminating the misleading sense of fixed meaning that one-to-one translations often create.

    Mahat emphasizes that this adjustment does not require turning concise vocabulary lists into full, unwieldy dictionaries. A single carefully selected example is often enough to clarify the specific meaning being taught. For words with multiple distinct meanings that translate to different terms in the learner’s native language, a second short example can resolve ambiguity effectively. This approach makes the limits of direct translation explicit, avoiding the false sense of certainty that students must later unlearn when they advance to more complex language use.

    Beyond improving learning materials, this method creates new opportunities for interactive classroom engagement. Teachers can use ambiguous word meanings as jumping-off points for guided discussion: asking students which meaning fits a given context, and how word choice shifts when the context changes. Instead of only drilling rote memorization, this approach trains students to make intentional, context-appropriate language choices, building practical communication skills rather than just memorization.

    Critical to the success of this strategy is keeping example sentences accessible. A complex sentence packed with other unfamiliar words does more harm than good, as it turns the context that is supposed to clarify meaning into its own confusing puzzle. The purpose of context is to illuminate, not overwhelm.

    After analyzing provided examples, Mahat recommends having students craft their own sentences using new vocabulary. When reviewing student work, teachers should not only check for correct spelling and grammar, but also prompt students to reflect on whether the chosen word effectively conveys their intended message. Small adjustments to word choice can become valuable teaching moments that reinforce nuance. Mahat also notes that students do not need to tie every sentence practice to personal experience; learners should be allowed to write about fictional scenarios rather than sharing private information, since the learning goal is language proficiency, not collection of personal narrative content.

    Structural design of vocabulary materials also deserves intentional attention. Word, translation, and example should be grouped clearly together whether the material is printed on paper or viewed on a mobile device. Poor formatting that separates related content shifts the learning challenge from mastering language itself to navigating confusing material design. For assessment, it is equally important to be transparent about expectations: translating isolated words is a fundamentally different skill than selecting the correct word for a sentence context. Both assessments have a place in language education, but students must know what skills they are preparing to demonstrate.

    Mahat stresses that teachers do not need to overhaul all their existing teaching materials overnight. Educators can start small, adding example sentences only for words that consistently cause confusion among students. Feedback and questions from the classroom can then be used to refine and improve examples over time. When appropriate, sharing a strong original example created by a student (with the student’s explicit permission) can further reinforce learning, making clear that language proficiency develops through active application and adaptation of vocabulary, not just passive memorization.

    At its core, a vocabulary list is meant to be a starting point for learning. Adding short example sentences gives students far more tools to build on that starting point, creating the necessary space in teaching materials for the critical shift from memorizing a translation to crafting clear, contextually appropriate communication.

  • UWI Global Campus students push back against return to in-person exams

    UWI Global Campus students push back against return to in-person exams

    When the University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus announced a mandatory return to in-person end-of-term examinations for the 2024/2025 academic year, it sparked immediate pushback from hundreds of enrolled students across the Caribbean, who argue the policy change ignores the fundamentally different structure of their online-focused programs and upends the flexible learning model they signed up for.

    Student concerns were first formally outlined in an open letter published by Antigua News Room, which laid out the stark disparities in academic resources between Global Campus students and their peers attending UWI’s traditional physical campuses. According to the letter, students on physical campuses benefit from consistent access to full-time faculty, regularly scheduled small-group tutorials, peer tutoring networks, and on-demand academic support that helps them prepare for in-person assessments.

    In contrast, Global Campus students report that their program is structured around independent, self-paced learning with very limited live instructional time. Many courses offer only four or fewer live sessions per semester, with some sessions cramming coverage of multiple entire course units into a single meeting, while others are dedicated solely to reviewing assignments rather than unpacking complex core content. The letter also highlights persistent issues with a lack of accessible tutorial support, delayed responses from instructors to student questions, and an expectation that students will work through the vast majority of course material independently.

    Students argue that this major gap in academic preparation makes the uniform requirement of in-person exams unfair. They are being held to the same assessment standard as on-campus students without receiving the same level of live instruction and exam preparation support.

    Beyond issues of academic fairness, students point out that the shift to in-person exams undermines the core flexibility that drew many non-traditional learners to the Global Campus in the first place. Working adults, student parents, and other learners who structured their work and family schedules around the fully online model now face significant practical disruptions.

    Similar frustrations have emerged in Saint Lucia, where a second-year Global Campus student spoke with St Lucia Times about the impact of the policy change. She explained that she enrolled in the program under the explicit understanding that both coursework and examinations would remain fully online, a model that worked seamlessly for her during her first year. Back then, exams were administered online via a proctored browser, giving students a broad window of time to complete their assessments, which allowed her to balance her full-time job and academic responsibilities without conflict.

    The 2024/2025 policy change upended that arrangement. Students are now required to travel to designated in-person exam sites on specific scheduled days, a requirement that interferes with work productivity and leads to tangible financial losses. “Some of us lose paid work hours as we’re out of hours due to commute time plus exam time and back,” the student explained. “We may have to use sick days, and you cannot call out every time you have an exam. Imagine having to be out for four days, or in at work and then out and back because you have four exams on different days.”

    Students across multiple Caribbean islands are calling on UWI to grandfather current students into the original online exam model that they agreed to when they enrolled, allowing them to complete their degrees under the terms they started with. To push for this change, students organized a petition that gathered hundreds of signatures. While university officials formally acknowledged receipt of the petition and the concerns raised in it, the institution has so far declined to reverse the policy, leaving many students feeling unheard and facing unnecessary pressure as they prepare for their end-of-term assessments.

  • UWI Global Campus SVG to host Annual Sir Dwight Venner Memorial Independence Lecture this week

    UWI Global Campus SVG to host Annual Sir Dwight Venner Memorial Independence Lecture this week

    A key annual academic and public policy event focused on national development is set to take place this week in Kingstown, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, hosted by the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Site of The University of the West Indies (UWI) Global Campus. The event, the Annual Sir Dwight Venner Memorial Independence Lecture, is scheduled for Thursday, October 22, 2026, starting at 5:00 p.m. at the UWI Global Campus location in Kingstown.

    This year’s featured speaker is Dr. Kertney Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of the St. Kitts-Nevis Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council. Dr. Thompson will center his address on the timely theme “The Next Independence: Building the Skills, Talent and Enterprise to Shape Our Future”. The discussion will dive into what types of human capital and entrepreneurial ecosystems are required to drive sustained national growth and shape a prosperous long-term future for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

    Following the keynote lecture, a public panel discussion will be held, moderated by Andrea Bowman, a distinguished former public servant and educator whose career includes serving as Resident Ambassador of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the Republic of China (Taiwan) and former Headmistress of the Girls’ High School.

    Four leading professionals from across the public, private and entrepreneurial sectors will join the panel:
    • Desron Bynoe, Vice President and General Manager for Barbados at Liberty Caribbean (Flow Barbados)
    • Pearlette Hannaway, Senior Education Officer overseeing TVET at St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Ministry of Education
    • Kimya Glasgow, Founder and Creative Director of Kimya Glasgow Designs Inc., who also works as a business coach and mentor
    • Keisha Phillips, Officer in Charge at the Centre for Enterprise Development under the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Private Sector Development

    After the panel wraps up its conversation, an open question-and-answer session will be held, giving all in-person attendees the chance to engage directly with the keynote speaker and panel members, share their own perspectives, and contribute to the ongoing conversation about national development strategy.

  • Blanchard students become published authors

    Blanchard students become published authors

    A group of 22 former sixth-grade students from Saint Lucia’s Blanchard Combined School have achieved a milestone few adults ever reach: turning routine classroom writing work into a full-length published anthology. Titled *The World Through Our Eyes*, the 260-page collection, created entirely by the school’s Class of 2026, includes more than 100 original works spanning fiction stories, personal essays, heartfelt tributes to loved ones, home recipes, and reflective personal essays, complete with original illustrations from the student creators. The official launch of the collection was held Monday, brought to fruition through partnership with local production firm Jako Productions and a coalition of community sponsors.

    The project grew directly from the students’ required Continuous Performance Assessment (CPA) writing portfolios, a curriculum assignment that demands students develop original work across five distinct literary genres. When the assignment grading was complete, sixth-grade teacher Nigeleen Samuel-Hubert noticed the hundreds of pages of thoughtful student work were set to be stored away and forgotten. Seeing the depth of creativity in the completed pieces, she proposed a new goal: compiling the best work into a published anthology to share with the broader community. The idea immediately sparked extra motivation among the students, who dived into additional rounds of editing, revision, and illustration preparation to bring the collection to life.

    School principal Merle Emmanuel framed the book launch as a landmark moment in Blanchard Combined School’s decades-long history. “We are here to celebrate the power of our young minds, the beauty of written expression and extraordinary possibilities that emerge when children are encouraged to dream beyond the boundaries of the classroom,” Emmanuel shared during the launch ceremony. “Today we are not simply launching a book; we are launching ideas, celebrating talent and opening a window into the minds of our young people.” She emphasized that the students’ journey from classroom learners to published authors is an accomplishment they should carry with pride throughout their academic and personal lives, and credited Samuel-Hubert for conceiving the project and Dr. Anderson Reynolds of Jako Productions for guiding the concept through to publication.

    District 6 Education Officer Stephen Auguste joined in celebrating the students, noting that this cohort has already earned distinction across academics and athletics, particularly in table tennis, prior to their publishing debut. “During our graduation, we said that they were among the top students on the island, certainly among the top students in the district,” Auguste explained. “We recognised them as brilliant athletes, having dominated the events in our district. They did well in table tennis, and now they are young authors. This is something special, and that’s just the beginning because they have the world ahead of them.” He added that the anthology serves as a reminder of what young people can achieve when they receive encouragement to imagine, access to the tools to create, and space to share their work with an audience — outcomes that benefit both the creators’ learning and the readers who engage with their stories.

    Event organizers publicly recognized the financial and community support of three key sponsors: Massy Stores, the Freezone Management Authority, and the Department of Creative Industry under the Ministry of Tourism. Massy Stores Marketing Manager Kelly Mitchell told the young authors their achievement carries a far greater meaning than the book itself. “At such a young age, you have accomplished something that many adults only dream of. You are now published authors. But beyond the achievement itself, I hope this experience teaches you something even more important – your ideas matter, your voices deserve to be heard and your circumstances should never define the limit of your potential,” Mitchell said.

    Those sentiments were echoed by Allen Chastanet, Member of Parliament for Micoud South, the constituency where Blanchard Combined School is located. “Never allow where you come from to determine how far you should go,” Chastanet told the students. “Today, we celebrate something truly remarkable. At an age when most children are still discovering the joy of reading, these children have already taken the next step. They have written their own stories, expressed themselves in a way many other students have not, and shared their own ideas and imagination with the world. That takes courage to do.”

    After securing parental permission to publish the students’ work, receiving official guidance from the Ministry of Education, and earning buy-in from school leadership and fellow staff, the project crossed the finish line earlier this month. All 22 student authors, who have now progressed to Form 1 at different secondary schools across the country, received a complimentary copy of their anthology during the launch event.

    *The World Through Our Eyes* holds the distinction of being the first book released under Wavin Kann Press, a newly launched imprint of Jako Productions. Readers can purchase copies locally at Books ‘n More in Micoud, Back to Basics and T&M in Vieux Fort, and globally through the online retail platform Amazon.

  • Ministry of Education Announces Winners of the Fifth Annual Summer Writing Challenge

    Ministry of Education Announces Winners of the Fifth Annual Summer Writing Challenge

    Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has officially unveiled the winners of the 2026 Summer Writing Challenge, the fifth iteration of its yearly youth-focused creative writing competition. Now in its fifth consecutive year, the annual contest was built around a core mission: to nurture creative thinking, boost confident self-expression, and strengthen core writing skills among the nation’s young population.

    Unlike generic writing contests, this challenge invited young participants to dive into topics that matter at personal, national, and global levels, giving writers the freedom to choose from three distinct literary formats: poetry, prose, and drama. Competitors were also asked to align their work with one of four curated themes, each designed to encourage deep reflection and original thought. For the “History and Identity” theme, participants explored pivotal moments that have shaped their individual lives, their families, schools, community organizations, or the broader national identity of Antigua and Barbuda. The “Responsibilities of a Global Citizen” theme pushed young writers to imagine tangible actions they could take to contribute to a more equitable, better world. Entries submitted under “The Commonwealth” centered on the prompt “The Wealth of the Commonwealth: A Personal Perspective,” inviting young people to share their unique views on the value of the Commonwealth community. For creators who preferred to follow their own inspiration, the Open Theme option allowed contestants to write about any subject they chose.

    To preserve the integrity of the competition, all submissions were required to meet strict originality rules: entries had to be entirely original, never before published, and not already submitted for any other program or school assignment. The contest was split into three age-based divisions, each with clear word count parameters to match developmental levels: children aged 6 to 9 were required to submit work between 80 and 150 words, participants 10 to 13 years old submitted 150 to 250 words, and older contestants aged 14 to 18 turned in pieces ranging from 250 to 450 words.

    While the full list of winning participants will be released in subsequent updates, the Ministry has confirmed that an official award ceremony will take place at Hodges Bay Resort following the end of the 2026 December school term. The ceremony will honor the hard work, creativity, and unique perspectives of all winning writers, with sponsorship for the event provided by Mrs. Cheryll Rogers.

    Looking ahead, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology expressed its excitement for the future growth of the Summer Writing Challenge. Officials reaffirmed their commitment to encouraging more young people across Antigua and Barbuda to embrace writing as a powerful tool for creative expression, personal reflection, and meaningful connection with the world around them.

  • Education targets 85% graduation rate by 2030

    Education targets 85% graduation rate by 2030

    The Bahamas’ Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has launched a sweeping strategic initiative to overhaul the nation’s education landscape, setting a bold national target of boosting the high school graduation rate to 85 percent by 2030 alongside four core pillars of reform, senior government officials confirmed at a public launch event hosted at Baha Mar this week.

    Education Director Dominique McCartney-Russell, who first announced the plan during the launch event, outlined that the ambitious roadmap is anchored in four interconnected priorities that touch every layer of the country’s education system. The first priority centers directly on student outcomes, with a targeted focus on strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy skills, early identification of individual learning gaps, and expanding flexible pathways to success that cater to diverse student interests. These pathways range from traditional academic tracks to technical vocational training, entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology-focused programs, ensuring no student is locked out of opportunity regardless of their career goals.

    The second priority invests in the backbone of the education system: Bahamian educators and school leaders. McCartney-Russell emphasized that no education system can outperform the quality of the people leading it, noting that the plan prioritizes expanded professional development opportunities, stronger school leadership training, and systemic support to reward and elevate excellence across the teaching profession.

    Third, the ministry aims to revamp internal operations to boost governance, public accountability, and overall management efficiency. McCartney-Russell explained that all administrative and policy changes will remain aligned to the core mission of advancing student success, eliminating misalignment and wasted resources that distract from that central goal.

    The fourth and final priority drives systemic modernization, focusing on full digital transformation of teaching and learning, upgrades to aging school infrastructure, and building campuses that are equipped to meet the evolving skill demands of the 21st-century global economy.

    McCartney-Russell stressed that these four pillars are not siloed initiatives, but connected commitments to a single unifying national mission: ensuring every Bahamian child has an equitable shot at success, regardless of where they live or what personal circumstances they face. While the 85 percent 2030 graduation rate serves as a clear, measurable key performance indicator for the reform effort, she added that the government’s long-term ambition extends far beyond that metric, working toward a future where access to opportunity is universal across the archipelago.

    Notably, the ministry emphasized that systemic change cannot be delivered by the government alone, framing the initiative as a collective national effort where every stakeholder has a role to play. To formalize cross-sector collaboration, the launch also introduced the new Bahamas Education, Science and Technology (BEST) Foundation, an independent non-profit organization led by a private-sector dominated board of directors. The foundation is designed to give private businesses, philanthropic groups, and community partners a structured avenue to contribute financial and material resources directly to school improvement and student opportunity expansion, rather than channeling contributions through government bureaucracy.

    Education Minister Chester Cooper noted that the BEST Foundation holds personal importance for his work, explaining that the entity’s mission is to turn widespread public goodwill for education improvement into tangible, on-the-ground impact for students. “It’s not about giving to government. It is about giving to our children and giving them a better chance, a chance to learn, a chance to discover their gifts, a chance to pursue dreams that might otherwise remain beyond their reach,” Cooper said, urging all members of the public to join what he framed as a national education revolution.

    The launch event, which was attended by Prime Minister Philip Davis and multiple senior government officials, also centered student and educator voices. Attendees viewed student performances, watched pre-recorded video messages from Family Island educators highlighting unmet resource needs for both students and teaching staff, and heard directly from students about the opportunities and resources they hope the reform plan will deliver. In addition to the strategic roadmap, the ministry also unveiled a refreshed institutional brand as part of its broader transformation effort.

  • OAS to Support Antigua and Barbuda in Strengthening Democratic Participation in School Settings

    OAS to Support Antigua and Barbuda in Strengthening Democratic Participation in School Settings

    The Organization of American States (OAS) General Secretariat has launched a new collaborative partnership with Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, centered on embedding core democratic values, responsible civic engagement, and youth participation into the Caribbean nation’s formal education system. This project officially kicked off this week during the OAS’s first in-country consultation mission, a landmark visit that lays the groundwork for months of joint work ahead.

    Daryll Matthew, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Education, Science and Technology, emphasized that his nation has long prioritized building inclusive, empowering learning spaces that equip students with more than just academic knowledge. The goal, Matthew explained, is to nurture the full set of competencies and values that young people need to participate as active, informed citizens in the country’s democratic processes. The two-day consultation, held September 15 and 16, was led by Cecilia Martins, a senior OAS Education Specialist, and brought together a cross-section of key stakeholders to align on project priorities. Curriculum development leaders, national education policymakers, frontline education professionals, current student representatives, and other relevant community stakeholders joined in structured consultations, open dialogues, and collaborative planning activities to shape the initiative’s direction.

    The targeted technical assistance being delivered by the OAS is coordinated by the Department of Human Development, Education and Employment (DHDEE), which operates under the OAS Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI). The project falls under the OAS’s broader hemispheric program, “Strengthening Democratic Principles through Education and Policy Dialogue (DEMEP),” a regional effort that currently counts 29 OAS member states as participating partners. DEMEP is built around the core principles outlined in Article 16 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which codifies the widely held belief that quality, inclusive education is an indispensable foundation for strong democratic institutions, sustainable human development, poverty reduction, and greater cross-cultural solidarity across the Americas.

    Funded through a grant from the United States, the partnership will see OAS experts support Antigua and Barbuda in multiple key areas. First, the team will back a comprehensive review of existing national education policies, school curricula, and ongoing civic education initiatives. From that review, stakeholders will identify clear priorities for future teacher training programs and the development of targeted educational tools to support civic learning. Beyond Antigua and Barbuda’s national benefits, insights and successful practices generated through this project will be shared across the hemisphere via the Inter-American Committee on Education and the established follow-up mechanisms of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, strengthening regional collective capacity to advance democratic education for all.

  • Roseau Combined wins agri-innovation competition

    Roseau Combined wins agri-innovation competition

    Young agricultural innovators across Saint Lucia gathered recently in Odsan, Castries, for the third edition of the Agri-Innovation Competition, hosted by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) Saint Lucia Delegation. The event formed a core component of the Ministry of Agriculture’s annual World Food Day programming, held this year under the unifying theme “Empowering Young Minds in Creating Sustainable Agri-Solutions.” Designed to showcase creative, youth-led ideas to tackle some of the agricultural sector’s most pressing challenges, the competition invited primary school students to develop concepts centered on waste reduction, enhanced food security, climate-resilient farming, and sustainable production practices.

    Claiming the first-place title was Roseau Combined School, with their inventive entry “Banana Peel Miracle Irrigation Liquid.” The student-led project explores the untapped agricultural potential of liquid extracted from soaked banana peels, investigating its effectiveness as a low-cost, organic fertilizer or supplemental irrigation input for small-scale crop production. For their winning innovation, the team took home a floating trophy and four smartwatches to support their ongoing learning.

    Second place was awarded to Ciceron Combined School for their technology-focused concept “AgroS758,” which proposes a structured system to redirect agricultural waste and surplus produce away from landfills toward value-added productive uses. Their prize included a trophy and an all-expenses-paid educational eco-tour at the iconic Hotel Chocolat property in Saint Lucia. Odsan Combined School secured third place with “Cocoweed Shield,” an eco-friendly concept that repurposes discarded coconut husks and locally abundant invasive weeds to create a biodegradable ground covering. This natural mat works to suppress unwanted weed growth, reduce soil moisture evaporation, and support healthy crop development without relying on synthetic chemicals. The team took home a third-place trophy for their effort. Anse La Raye Primary School also rounded out the field of competing schools with their own original agricultural innovation concept.

    In a move to support continued hands-on learning for all participating youth, every school that entered the competition received a package of essential garden supplies, including quality seeds, hand tools, and basic agricultural inputs. These resources are intended to encourage students to continue testing and refining their ideas long after the competition concludes, fostering a new generation of engaged, sustainability-focused agricultural thinkers. IICA officials extended formal recognition to the partners who made the event possible, including the Ministry of Agriculture, Hotel Chocolat, Massy Stores St Lucia Limited, the Taiwan Technical Mission, and the Saint Lucia Conservation Fund. Their collaborative support underscored the shared commitment to nurturing young talent and advancing sustainable agricultural solutions across the Caribbean island nation.