The Future Project Barbuda team officially began TERM TWO in early January! It’s hard to believe how quickly time has flown by… We are amazed by the changes we’ve been a part of and witnessed at SMGSS, which continuously fuels the purpose of the work we do.
LEADERSHIP TRAINING
In early January, The Future Project Barbuda invited Mrs. Diann Beazer-Jeffers (Labor Management Consultant with 1199 SEIU) to host leadership and professional development workshops among faculty and selected students. Mrs. Jeffers (a native Barbudan residing in New York AND Darlene’s sister) shared her expertise in organizational leadership, highlighting the themes of purpose, intention, accountability, and collaboration. In the meantime, The Future Project Barbuda team will continue to meet regularly with student council members and prefects to support their development as school leaders!
BEACH CLEAN UP
On January 8th, TFP Barbuda collaborated with “Adopt A Coastline” to bring 40 students to River Dock for a beach clean up. Students collected 65 24-gallon bags of garbage and painted/ installed two repurposed garbage bins! “Adopt A Coastline” is an environmental initiative based in Antigua which aims to empower female and youth leaders. Among communities, they promote the monetization of crafts made from recyclable beach finds. The initiative has scheduled upcoming events for the remainder of the year, which our students plan to participate in!
EXTRA CURRICULARS
TFP Barbuda recently launched an “Extra Curricular Fund” among teachers and community professionals to enhance activities at the school. Interested facilitators have been asked to complete an application form, pitching an activity/club/ team they would like to supervise. The fund assists with the purchase of activity materials, and awards a $500.00 XCD stipend to the facilitator upon the completion of 10 sessions. So far, we have received applications for a crochet club, yearbook club, and football team! This will add to the current roster of steel pan, culinary arts, track and field, basketball, and The Future Project programming!
PARENT-TEACHER CALLS
To help strengthen these relationships, we’ve asked teachers to reach out to the parents of their classrooms for “5-minute check in” calls. Each teacher was given a “call log” (script) to help guide the conversation pertaining to their students’ personal and academic progress, strengths, and areas needing more support.
SPECIAL EDUCATION GROUP
Since the first term, Darlene (our incredible Future Coach) has been offering her time on Wednesday afternoons to work with a small group of students experiencing learning challenges. With Darlene’s expertise in special education and curriculum development, she fills a neglected gap in the community, as there is not an active teacher or department focusing on this demographic in Barbuda. Darlene founded Barbuda SEED (Surpassing Expectations Erase Doubt) in October 2020, which enhances creative education and health opportunities on the island. Darlene has extended her resources to teachers and continues to hold space for these students in addition to the regularly scheduled classes!
COUNSELING AT SMGSS
Sparked by recent events, TFP Barbuda decided to shift focus and prioritize the need for a school counselor at SMGSS to improve overall mental and emotional wellbeing of the students. TFP Barbuda will be partnering with Dr. Jamion Knight of “The Mango Bucket Project” and “Mental Fitness Center” in Antigua to provide a set of virtual counseling sessions to students of concern. Dr. Knight plans to visit us in the spring, in which he has suggested to host community forums and training for teachers related to mental health and communal support.
GUEST SPEAKERS
This month, we invited notable male community members to speak with the Form 3 Victory Class (all boys, ages 14-16). As many of these young men face pressures and challenges without positive guidance, we connected them with models who were open to share their personal life stories and encourage the youth. We greatly appreciate Brother Shiraz Hopkins, Coach Jermaine Joyce, and Mr. Edlawn Rae for dedicating their time and energy to our students! Moving forward, we plan to involve more professionals, and schedule a designated “speaker time” to include other classes!
DONATIONS
Over the holiday, we received a shipment of donated gifts from Island Academy (IA) in Antigua! These items were collected through a donation drive organized by IA’s senior students, which included ping pong sets, notebooks, library books, and writing utensils. We thank Island Academy for their amazing commitment and look forward to other opportunities for collaboration in the future!
BASKETBALL COURT
Tremendous progress has been made with the basketball court! Do It Right Construction has been working diligently to complete the project within the upcoming weeks. We are extremely grateful to the Coco Point Fund and PLH for the generous contributions which have made this court possible!
SIDE NOTE: The SMGSS basketball team recently received their uniforms arranged and donated by Team Buda and Lil Links Supermarket, with designs created by recent graduate, Tyrell George! The team recently returned from their first game of the season in Antigua with an outstanding victory of 42-27 against St. Mary’s Secondary School!! Congratulations to the boys!!
It was such a pleasure to see familiar faces, Mr. and Mrs. Minshall, who visited the school while in Barbuda this month! As always, we are grateful to our donors of the Coco Point Fund for all the support which has made this program a success, and we look forward to continuing the work.
