MLK Principal Hubert Duffis and faculty of MLK at the project launch.
DUTCH QUARTER--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School Principal Hubert Duffis and faculty member Everette Gumbs are currently in Funchal, Portugal as part of a team for an Erasmus+ Learning Teaching Training Activity (LTTA) Project entitled “Action – Oriented Pedagogy in Environmental Literacy" (AOPEL).
This LTTA consists of short-term staff training for teachers from schools in five participating countries: Portugal, Spain, Romania, Italy and St. Maarten.
The primary aims of AOPEL include developing responsible behaviours by school communities regarding education on the sustainable development of the environment; raising awareness of the impact of individual negative actions on the environment and most importantly implementing a pedagogical model that leverages digital resources and combines traditional classroom learning with practical outdoor activities that promote environmental literacy.
The LTTA will also focus on equipping teachers with skills to identify areas in the current curriculum where opportunities for promotion of environmental literacy exist. Teachers will also explore cross-curricular connections and practical methods for adapting lessons to integrate environmental literacy in all subject areas. “On February 14, 2024, we proudly launched this project at our school and our teachers are excited about this opportunity to liaise with their European counterparts to learn and share ideas on active ways of teaching environmental literacy at the elementary school level,” remarked Duffis.
The staff at MLK have already participated in virtual meetings for the organisation of this project and look forward to continued collaborative efforts for the other activities that will span the duration of this project which runs from October 2023-2025. The project is fully funded by the European Union under the auspices of the Erasmus+ programme.
Gumbs expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to be an ambassador for her school and stated that some of the MLK’s initiatives thus far include student site visits to N.V. GEBE’s Power Plant, educational tours to Port St. Maarten and creating partnerships with other schools locally that are leading in sustainable environmentally friendly initiatives such as the Green Dream Projects In-School Waste Management pioneered by Claude Javois of the Methodist Agogic Center-Comprehensive Secondary Education (CSE). Gumbs commented: “Our teachers and students eagerly await our return to our own campus where they will be able to fully participate and embrace these great initiatives.”
Duffis thanked President of the Love2Learn Foundation Chasen Williams, who was instrumental in introducing the MLK family to the Erasmus+ programme and ensuring that they were registered and connected to reliable programme partners.
Upon their return, the team will conduct workshops with their staff to share pedagogical approaches to environmental literacy and together, draft their school’s strategic plan to promote a more sustainable environment.
