7th March 2023 – The National Trust for the Cayman Islands (NTCI) is the proud recipient of a grant from the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID) that will fund the creation of a climate education pilot project in our local schools. The European Union and Expertise France created this mechanism to support the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) in their efforts to build lasting solutions toward resilient, sustainable and productive societies. This project aims to strengthen the resilience of the Cayman Islands through a standardised educational programme on climate science to help cope with the effects of climate change and promote the adoption of new sustainable practices.

The National Trust has a strong relationship with Cayman’s schools. They have been visiting both public and private schools and delivering lessons on our historic and natural heritage since the NTCI was established 35 years ago. The mandate of their educational programme is to empower people of all ages and to preserve Cayman’s natural and built heritage through public awareness and the creation of opportunities for hands-on learning. They believe these initiatives help shape a better understanding and increased appreciation for Cayman’s unique biodiversity and built heritage.

The overarching aim of the project is to improve the capacity of the Cayman Islands to mitigate and adapt to climate change through improved understanding of the threat, as well as though the protection of intact natural areas (such as coral reefs and mangroves) and increased renewable energy use, leading to greater resilience as a society.

The campaign will raise public awareness of climate science so that we may be a more resilient community to the effects of a changing climate. Catherine Childs, the National Trust’s Environmental Programmes Manager, stated that “we are grateful to RESEMBID for this grant to ensure that every child in the Cayman Islands receives a quality education on this critical subject. To be prepared for the inevitable consequences of climate change, our young people must understand the issue well.”

The National Trust will work with both public and private primary and secondary schools in Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac to create a standardised curriculum on climate science. Their activities will include classroom visits and the development of an E-Learning platform that will provide standardised climate science material. Teachers and students will then be better equipped with information on the effects of climate change that will prepare our society for future challenges. This pilot project will take place in four schools in the Cayman Islands but will act as a model for other programmes throughout the region.