The Central Caribbean Marine Institute is inviting primary school students to design their own 100% sustainable island in this year’s Eco-Warrior Challenge.
In the nationwide competition, CCMI is giving Years 5 and 6 students in government primary schools a unique opportunity to engage in marine ecology.
This year, students are being challenged to “create a sustainable island”, with the winning applications securing a fully funded class scholarship to attend a three-day/two-night Marine Ecology Course at the institute in Little Cayman.
The courses, which began in 2009, offer a foundational learning experience that emphasises ocean literacy in students. Since their inception, thousands of primary and high school students have attended. In addition to being immersed in tropical marine ecology, participants also learn about the history and terrestrial ecology of Little Cayman.
Robyn Larkin, project manager at CCMI, said the Eco-Warrior Challenge invites the students “to think about a way they can interact with the environment in a positive way”.
She said the theme this year is sustainability, “so we’re challenging them to design their own sustainable island, and problem solve, thinking of all the considerations that would go into a sustainability plan, how to balance humans and nature, and the needs of both in a harmonious way”.
The winning schools will be “literally immersed in tropical marine ecology with our educators and scientists, to really gain a true appreciation for the natural environment, and specifically what makes Little Cayman so special”.
She added that CCMI was aiming to award 100 scholarships to students and their chaperons to attend the Marine Ecology Courses on the island.
The winning schools last year were East End Primary School in Grand Cayman and Creek and Spot Bay Primary in Cayman Brac.
Creating a new sustainable island
Inspired by the 2025 World Ocean Day theme, “Sustaining What Sustains Us”, the challenge will involve the students designing their own 100% sustainable island. This will include coming up with a name for the island, creating a flag/motto/symbol, and drawing or building the island, possibly in a 3D, papier-mache or clay model, while indicating key sustainable features. Classes will also be asked to provide explanatory notes that describe how each feature supports environmental protection and sustainability.
“They would show the topography of the land and the features of that island; where people live, maybe how they get their electricity, how they [travel] by transport, what industries are there, how they manage tourism in a sustainable way – so the natural world is also taken into consideration,” Larkin said.
She added that, as today’s primary school students will be the future leaders of Cayman, the aim of the challenge is to get them thinking at this age about what they want the islands to look like.
“Maybe they’ll come up with some incredible ideas, and they might help push forward a more sustainable island. Or, it’s just a great way for them to start problem solving and thinking about options and building critical thinking skills,” she said.
The winners will get to take part in the three-day Marine Ecology Courses in November and December at CCMI’s Little Cayman Research Centre, where they will snorkel coral reefs, explore mangrove ecosystems and participate in interactive marine science workshops – all led by the institute’s team of expert educators and scientists.
This year, CCMI said that a record number of corporate sponsors have stepped forward to help fund the prize, as the Eco-Warrior Challenge aligns with many companies’ environmental, social and governance policies, known as ESG, and community investment initiatives. Among this year’s corporate partners are BODA Charitable Star Trust, the Department of Tourism, Dart, CG BritCay and KPMG.
CCMI said it was encouraging teachers, parents, principals and other education professionals to get their government school classes and children involved in applying for one of these opportunities.
The application deadline is 3 Oct., with judging taking place the following week. Winners will be announced by 17 Oct. For full details and application, click here.
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I am happy to see the Cayman Islands are more interested in the environment, climate change and sustainability. I do however think that the lack of recycling is very sad. As a home owner and part time resident on Cayman Brac, I am saddened every time I throw out a glass or plastic bottle because there is no recycling program. The number of plastic bags used for groceries and purchases has not slowed, and the beaches are full of plastic. Why not start a recycling program and phase out single use plastic bags. It would be something that all the residents and tourists on the islands could do to help the environment.
Janice Huntingford
South Side
Cayman Brac