Students in 14 public schools across the Virgin Islands returned to safer and SMARTer learning environments, thanks to the ongoing efforts of the BVI SMART Schools Project.

The project is managed by the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Green VI, H. Lavity Stoutt Community College and BVI Red Cross, and seeks to enhance resilience and sustainability of schools throughout the Territory.

The current iteration of the BVI SMART Schools Project is funded by the European Union through the Resilience, Sustainable Energy, and Marine Biodiversity (RESEMBID) programme. The projects aims to expand on the SMART Schools mission to maximise climate and disaster resilience in educational institutions by adding key partner agencies. With upgraded infrastructure, improved safety standards, and integrated green practices, the project ensures that schools are better equipped to protect students and withstand the impacts of climate change.

SMART Schools Project Manager Michel Ambrose said, “With this project and thanks to the work of our partners, the mission is to support the schools so that they can safeguard our students, but also empower them with the knowledge and tools to thrive in an ever-changing world. The upgrades implemented are a critical step toward achieving that goal.”

The 14 schools involved in the project have undergone extensive assessments and improvements to meet rigorous international safety standards managed by the DDM. These enhancements include structural upgrades, energy and water conservation measures, and the establishment of sustainable practices such as school gardens, recycling and waste reduction. Schools that meet these safety standards are certified as Safe, with those incorporating additional green practices being designated as SMART.

Schools presently participating in the SMART Schools initiative include, Alexandrina Maduro Primary, Bregado Flax Educational Centre Primary and Secondary Division, Claudia Creque Educational Centre, Ebenezer Thomas Primary, Enis Adams Primary, Enid Scatliffe Pre-Primary, Elmore Stoutt High, Francis Lettsome Primary, Ivan Dawson Primary, Joyce Samuel Primary, Leonora Delville Primary, Robinson O’Neal Memorial Primary and Willard Wheatley Primary schools.

The DDM remains committed to ensuring that all public schools are safe, sustainable, and prepared to face future challenges as the BVI SMART Schools Project continues.  Visit http://www.bviddm.com and the Department of Disaster Management’s Facebook page for regular updates on the project.

 Students at the Ebenezer Thomas Primary School (pictured) and others in the Virgin Islands are returning to safer and more resilient schools this term as part of the SMART Schools programme. (Photo courtesy ETPS)

About BVI DDM

The Virgin Islands Department of Disaster Management aims to protect lives and maintain a resilient, sustainable economy and society by fostering comprehensive disaster management and climate change adaptation as a way of life.

About RESEMBID

RESEMBID is a 47-project programme funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France - the development cooperation agency of the Government of France and supports sustainable human development efforts in 12 Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) - Aruba, Anguilla, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Montserrat, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Saint Barthélemy, Sint Maarten and Turks and Caicos. 

The three core objectives of the Programme are designed to support the effort of the OCTs to address or mitigate these vulnerabilities. They are:

1.         To increase energy efficiency of infrastructure with high impact on energy consumption;

2.         To improve protection and sustainable management of the OCTs marine biodiversity; and

3.         To increase the resilience of Caribbean OCTs to adapt to extreme and recurrent natural events.