Building future conservation leaders in The Bahamas
Building a generation of critical thinkers and fostering a sense of connection are what Anshena’s work at the Cape Eleuthera Island School in The Bahamas is all about. By challenging children to seek out the answers to their questions themselves and enabling them to visit important marine ecosystems, Anshena is encouraging new advocates for the environment and empowering them to make changes in their world.
Anshena Johnson
Paradise was my playground as a child. I hail from a quaint island settlement of only 300 people in The Bahamas. Pristine beaches, creeks, mangroves and blue holes were where I played during the summers, while tropical fruits and nuts provided my snacks. Weekend excursions with my grandmother to procure fish, land crabs, queen conch and spiny lobster were much anticipated events as we bonded then, and she shared her generational knowledge. I grew to love our environment and all that it could provide when properly cared for. Although I moved to the capital to attend high school,...
Building future conservation leaders in The Bahamas
The purpose of this project is to support primary school students at The Lab School in reading growth and facilitate experiential learning outcomes for the National Science Curriculum, creating a model for education that can be replicated throughout The Bahamas. Additionally, we will provide each child with a healthy snack each school day.
The Lab School is a unique project and is the first public-private partnership launched with The Bahamas Ministry of Education and Cape Eleuthera Island School. At The Lab School we have the opportunity to innovate and reimagine the way education is delivered for children. We will document best practices and lessons learned to create a model that can be transferred and be successful in other schools.
The Lab School will have a significant emphasis on place-based learning that connects students more intimately with their environment and on-going efforts for sustainable development and environmental stewardship in South Eleuthera. We combine these efforts with interventions to support reading growth for the students we work with.
Early childhood literacy interventions have been shown to be significant predictors of later academic achievement and are the foundation for a child’s well-being and future towards becoming a productive member of society and having a successful career. Multiple studies have shown that the amount of engaged reading time a student is supported in per day can be used as a predictor of academic success across all other subjects.
The Ministry of Education’s goal for the Primary School Science Curriculum is to empower individuals to become critical thinkers, problem-solvers, visionaries, scientifically and technologically literate citizens who appreciate, interpret and conserve the natural and physical environment. We engage students in experiential learning to deliver the learning outcomes for Life Science and Earth and Space Science Curriculum as guided and defined by The Ministry of Education. During this program, students gain exposure to environmental stewardship and learn how to become environmental advocates and make a change in the world.
- Increase student achievement in literacy and science
- Deliver learning outcomes defined in the National Science Curriculum through experiential education
- Model educational strategies that are transferable and could be successful in other schools
- Provide each child at the school with a healthy snack each school day