The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THE Beacon School has joined the Eco-Schools programme and is now among eight institutions on Grand Bahama identified as green-flag schools.

Island Coordinator of the Eco-Schools programme Olethea Gardiner, co-chairperson for Keep Grand Bahama Clean Committee (KGBCC), congratulated the special needs school for joining the growing number of eco-schools worldwide.

“Thousands of schools worldwide, with over millions of students, participate in this programme,” Ms Gardiner said. “We are here today to announce that the Beacon School is our newest eco-school.”

The KGBCC has served as the island coordinator for the past eight years. It has worked with other schools on the island to meet the programme requirement.

The Beacon School is the first special needs institution in Grand Bahama that is an eco-school.

Principal Titi McKenzie-Moss said the school submitted its action plan and was approved for the programme over the summer break.

She said that two teachers, a teacher’s aide, and 12 children would be part of the programme.

Although the students are not yet back in school for face-to-face learning, Ms Moss said the school had already implemented a few things last year, such as Water Wednesdays where students only drink water, and Fresh Fruit Fridays.

She said they will focus on four main areas: biodiversity; no littering/keeping the grounds clean; backyard farming; and using reusable and recycled materials and items at their sheltered workshop facility.

“We plan to label all of our trees in the school, and every class has a garden where they grow a different vegetable or herb, which we will use to make and sell salads and wraps at the workshop when we are open to the public on Wednesday and Thursday.”

She said that reusable and recycled items collected by the students are used in the workshop to create things for the campus or for sale to the public.

Teacher Hazel Adams, the coordinator for the programme at Beacon School, said they decided to participate in the initiative because they want students to know the importance of taking care of the environment.

“We all have a responsibility to take care of our environment and our planet. And that was the main reason why we wanted to include our students in the programme,” she said.

“We know education promotes action, and once the children are aware of the importance of taking care of the environment we know that could be transferred into their lives and for them to learn about making responsible choices. How they think and respond and how their actions can affect their planet as a whole,” she stated.

Ms Gardiner said other eco-schools on Grand Bahama are the Bishop Michael Eldon Schools, Lucaya International School, Freeport Gospel Chapel, Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Academy, Sunland Baptist Academy, and two public schools – the Holmes Rock Primary and the Maurice Moore Primary Schools.

In 1992, eco-schools were developed as a response to the needs identified at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The Eco-Schools programme was launched in 1994 in Denmark, Germany, Greece, and the United Kingdom with the support of the European Commission.

Other schools on Grand Bahama interested in the Eco-Schools programme can contact the Keep Grand Bahama Clean Committee.