I had the opportunity to visit schools in the North Leeward area of St. Vincent to raise awareness among children and young people about Climate Change. We all know that Global Warming and Climate Change affect small island. Nations severely, so it is important that the also the next generation knows about this and about what can be done.
At first, it wasn’t easy. Since we had no experience in the field of education and teaching, we faced many challenges. We began by organizing, planning and creating the lessons, trying to adapt them as much as possible to the children’s age, which ranged from 9 to 11 years of age. This obviously required extra work, thoughts, and concerns.
But despite everything, we managed to organize good lessons, complemented with activities, games, and moments of sharing and reflection. To reach the schools where we delivered the lessons, we traveled around the area near Richmond Vale Academy. The primary schools that hosted us were in Fitz Hughes, Chateaubelair, Troumaca, and Rose Hall. The lessons took place during science class and lasted about 45 minutes each. We divided the program into four sessions:
First session: Using posters and images, we tried to explain the importance of taking care of the planet and the difference between various ecosystems.
Second session: We talked about climate change, its causes and the different solutions and actions that society can take together.
Third session: A general recap, followed by a creative drawing activity that each child completed individually and then presented to their family.
Fourth and final session: A group activity aimed at raising awareness among the entire school, highlighting the themes covered and the actions that everyone can take together.
All lessons were accompanied by games, activities, and fun moments of discussion and participation. Of course, our part was only an introduction to the topic; the school itself plays a fundamental role once our sessions are completed. Their task is to continue discussing the topic, make it relevant, and organize different practical activities with the classes, such as beach clean-ups, tree-planting activities, school garden projects, etc.
I believe this experience was very formative for us. On a personal level, we managed to face many of the difficulties that such a program brings: anxiety, public speaking, improvisation, leading lessons. These are just a few examples of what we faced. It was challengin but we made it, and we came out of it with our heads held high, receiving compliments from the teachers.
