The Saint Lucia National Commission for UNESCO recently engaged teachers, ASP Net coordinators, students and youth across Saint Lucia in a three day workshop on the UNESCO Sand Watch Project.

   Funded under the UNESCO Participation Programme for the Biennium 2018-2019, the UNESCO Sand Watch project seeks to reduce the levels of pollution in the Caribbean Sea. It will provide water testing kits and training manuals to all schools in Saint Lucia, provide training in scientific observation of beaches through field measurements and data analysis and assist communities to use the data collectors to better manage beaches within their communities.

   Secretary-General for National Commission for UNESCO in Saint Lucia, Marcia Symphorien says it is hoped that the initiative will be fully integrated within the school curriculum.“We have all seen firsthand the devastating effects of climate change and global warming on small island developing states like Saint Lucia. In order to respond effectively and to mitigate the impact of these events we have to respond through education. Education is the key, and in that regard we believe that the sand watch project is a perfect tool for achieving our objectives,” The Secretary-General says.

    Acting Director of Innovation within the Department of Education Lenell Malzaire, says ultimately, the project will help to identify and evaluate threats facing the coastal environments and develop sustainable approaches to addressing those threats. “Those of you who are part of Generation X would have grown up in a time when the coastal region in Saint Lucia brought about much economic stimuli. Hotels were being built, sand was being mined and mangrove was being cut to make charcoal. So it bring chills up my spine that I stand here to wish you well on such an occasion were we are going to be embarking collectively on an effort to study our coastal region to give insight and to effect change," Malzaire says. The acting Director of Innovation in the Department of Education hopes that the training exercise meant for students, teachers and stakeholders will facilitate ingeniuity in schools.