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A range of educational products will be offered to students at seven primary schools in Clarendon’s Corporate Area and Clarendon that are focused on climate change.
The products are being provided under a pilot project being undertaken by the Climate Studies Group at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, aimed at strengthening the country’s resilience to climate change.
Included is a textbook entitled, ‘Let’s Make a Difference…A Caribbean Primer on Climate Change’ and an animation series based on the text.
The suite of products was launched at The Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston and includes two key climate studies documents: an executive summary of the State of the Caribbean Climate Report and a YouTube channel that discusses the report. It also contains audiovisual content for the disabled.
UWI also published a Caribbean science book, in braille format, that provides important updates on climate changes.
The seven pilot schools have been provided with reading gardens.
These include Randolph Lopez School for Hope, Constant Spring Primary & Junior High, Franklin Town Primary, St. Peter Claver Primary and Harbour View Primary in Kingston & St. Andrew, Mount Airy Primary & Infant, and Richmond Park Primary.
Mona Taylor, Dean of UWI’s Faculty of Science and Technology informed that schools were provided with a gazebo and/or portable tent with outdoor seating. The solar energy-based solution can be fixed or portable.
He explained that they were also given gardens with endemic trees and plants to encourage students to study and care for their growth, and to develop a culture of protecting the environment.
“Two of the schools have also received automatic weather stations [through the Meteorological Service of Jamaica]. They, therefore, join Jamaica in its quest to develop resilience through capturing information,” he noted, adding that an app will also be developed as part of the immersive learning experience.
Hon. Fayval Williams, welcomed the initiative, noting that “it is only through education that we can understand climate change, in-depth, and begin to act in a way that has positive changes on our environment”.
She also spoke out about the importance and value of the reading garden for students to gain practical knowledge about caring for the environment and the importance of plants.
“While there is more familiarity with and use of the vocabulary about global warming, greenhouse gases, renewable energy, carbon footprint, etc., policymakers and educators are increasingly stressing the importance of educating children on environmental matters and developing a culture of caring for the climate,” she said.
Dr. Wayne Henry, Director General of Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), endorsed the undertaking. He stated that the Improving Climate Data and Information Management Projects (ICDIMP) results helped to guide the creation of the textbook. It is part of a suite of educational products.
“Conducted last year… the results [of the ICDIMP] indicate that 91.6 per cent of respondents are knowledgeable of the term climate change,” he said, adding that the findings “highlight the need for a deeper understanding about the concept in relation to its causes and impacts.”
“The results also point to inadequate knowledge of adaptation and mitigation measures that can and must be employed to transform Jamaica to that climate-resilient economy envisioned by 2030 Jamaica,” Dr. Henry said.
He said that the textbook is, therefore, in response to “a major gap identified and will, we expect, complement and amplify the impact of some earlier work by the Climate Studies Group Mona, which the PIOJ sponsored, and involved developing teaching and learning resource material for the primary level”.
For his part, Principal of UWI, Mona, Professor Dale Webber, in highlighting the importance of the project, said that young persons are more likely to “live with the long-term effects of a changing world, and the products provided will equip them and [inform] decision-making, with future impact in mind”.
“With present actions, we need to make changes, or we need to educate those who are going to make the changes,” he pointed out.
The Let’s Make a Difference…A Caribbean Primer on Climate Change textbook is available in soft and hard copies, which will also be used to train teachers for each of the schools specified.
Training videos will also have to be filmed and distributed among other schools.
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