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BREEF held its annual Eco-Schools Bahamas (ESB) Workshop on Friday, October 11, 2024, at the New Providence Community Centre. Over 60 educators from Abaco, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, Cat Island and New Providence attended the workshop. 

Presenters throughout the day underscored the importance of empowering students to be advocates for sustainability in their schools and communities. Teachers were given the tools and information to start their journey to becoming Green Flag schools. They also participated in lively activities to integrate environmental education into their curriculum while empowering students to lead their respective clubs. 

Aquinas College Eco-Schools Coordinator, Raymond Knight gave a presentation on Renewable Energy & Carbon Emissions demonstrating how to calculate consumption costs. He expressed that through these calculations institutions can gauge their energy usage and determine where they can cut back to lighten the load on their schools. Knight also made a case for utilising more renewable forms of energy on campuses.

“When we talk about energy consumption, sometimes we ignore the small, small bits but they do add up.” Knight said.

Following Knight’s presentation was another given by his former pupil, and representative from the Office of the Prime Minister’s Climate Change & Environmental Advisory Unit, Melissa Ingraham. Ingraham, standing as a testament of a student influenced by an environmental educator, said she was excited and honoured to reunite with her former teacher at the event.

“It was a full-circle moment where I reunited with this teacher who taught me science. I am now giving a presentation back to him, as an adult and professional, that was an honour” she said.  

During her presentation, the Education Officer for Social Studies Junior High at the Ministry of Education and Eco-Schools Bahamas Assessor, Sally Johnson, expressed excitement, having three government junior high schools attending the event. She said that as more government junior high schools register for the Eco-Schools Programme she will continue to support them and others who wish to participate.  

“This programme and partnership with BREEF ties into our National Development Plan and when you look at the government’s Blueprint for Change they are focusing on more of the environment. Being a part of this, we will help our teachers to help our students have better knowledge of our country’s environment,” Johnson said.

St. John’s College (SJC) is known for its active Eco-Club, with students regularly participating in various BREEF activities and programs. SJC Eco-Schools Coordinator, Kendia Ingraham, said that they plan to maintain the momentum with their club taking full advantage of the networking opportunities provided by the workshop.

“We are so happy to be here, especially to exchange ideas and experiences with the other Eco-Schools Coordinators. It was great to collaborate so that we can strengthen the Eco-Clubs in all of our schools,” Ingraham explained.

Several family islands schools were also represented at the workshop. Harbour Island Green School Eco-School Coordinator, Walcott Miller said that he hopes to better empower his students and other teachers on the island with the knowledge he gains from the workshop.

“We believe that our students need to be empowered environmental citizens, understanding that every decision they make has an impact on the environment.” 

Miller is no stranger to BREEF or the Eco School programme, having been a former Bahamas Environmental Steward Scholar, a programme that BREEF runs with the Cape Eleuthera Island School. 
Miller continued, “Coming out of this workshop we can teach our teachers what to improve on, and build on the steps that we have already taken. We have implemented recycling, sorting our trash and banning single use plastic, but we want to keep improving.”

A.F. Adderley Junior High Eco-School Coordinator Elvis Sweeting said, “One of my biggest takeaways from this event is the urgency to implement an eco-schools programme and tips to reduce our carbon footprint.”

D.W. Davis Junior High Eco-School Coordinator Natasha Astwood explained that she felt encouraged by the testimonials from other schools who persevered through the challenges on their Eco-School journey.

“This workshop was a 10 on a scale of 1-10. I am excited about the prospect of collaboration with other schools, especially those on the family islands. This is one of the best workshops I have attended.” Astwood said.

BREEF Eco-Schools National Operator, Nicola Fernander explained that this year, the Eco-Schools Bahamas workshop focused on networking and equipping new and registered schools with pertinent information that will assist them in achieving the prestigious, internationally recognised green flag award. Teachers shared, learned and developed strategies to engage students in fun-filled actions to protect our Bahamian Ecosystems.

“I am excited about the next steps we will take as a network of eco-educators, supporting each other and improving the environmental footprint of our schools and community. I am truly thankful to the many new coordinators and schools from the Family Islands and New Providence who participated in this year’s event,” Fernander said.

Eco-Schools Bahamas is part of a global sustainable school programme active in over 79 countries.  BREEF’s ESB network spreads over six islands with 19 government and 27 private schools. The workshop allows educators to network, share experiences, and gain valuable information to inspire students toward positive actions to adapt to and combat climate change through their respective programmes. BREEF has been running the Eco-Schools Bahamas programme since 2009.

The workshop was made possible through the generous support of the Primat Foundation and Builders Initiative. To learn more about BREEF’s Eco-Schools Bahamas Programme and its work in promoting the conservation of the Bahamian marine environment, please visit www.breef.org or email ecoschoolsbahamas@breef.org.