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GARDEN-BASED LEARNING PROJECT:

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

3 BahamArts 2010

4 Events of the First

Quarter

6 BNCA/CWA

7 Garden Memories

8 Photo Gallery

Volume 15

July - September Third Quarter 2010

The Garden-based Learning Project is sponsored by the Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. FAO was founded in 1945 with a

mandate to help developing countries to modernize and improve agriculture,

forestry and fisheries practices. Additionally, FAO:

Leads international efforts to defeat hunger; and

Works to ensure good nutrition for all people.

FAO Food and Nutrition Division works in collaboration with other

international and professional organizations to develop and promote

innovative strategies and materials that assist countries in planning and

implementing school-based nutrition education.

Since nutrition education has a great impact on the long-term development of

a country, FAO seeks to use this medium to achieve its mandate. Technical

assistance from FAO will complement the efforts of the Government of The

Bahamas to improve basic education and promote the health and nutrition of

school children as well as agricultural practices in the population.

The Garden-Based Learning (GBL) project promotes garden-based learning

which integrates food security and nutrition education across the curriculum in

an effort to improve the quality of life for primary school children and their

parents. The GBL Project encourages students to make healthy life style choices

which are facilitated by the students using the school garden as a natural

laboratory. This Project provides training for teachers as well as opportunities

for the development of educational materials.

Continued on page 2

WERE ON THE WEB, WWW.IICA.INT/BAHAMAS

IICA Bahamas

Today

At the CDB Vybzing Forum in May, Mr. Lionel Sands (Director of

Education) commended the Forum on exposing students to the large number

of careers in agriculture.

Page 2 IICA Bahamas Today

GARDEN-BASED LEARNING PROJECT cont.:

The Garden-Based Learning (GBL) Project is currently being implemented in grades four and five of nine pilot schools.

The pilot schools are on Andros, Grand Bahama and New Providence. The GBL Project seeks to:

1. promote good health and nutrition among primary school children;

2. promote the production and consumption of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables at school, the home and

in the community;

3. strengthen food security and nutrition education for primary school students;

4. integrate garden-based learning (GBL) concepts across the curriculum;

5. design and produce innovative curriculum and resource materials that will encourage behavioral change in

school children, and by extension their parents;

6. engender positive attitudes in students toward careers in agriculture.

It is envisioned that the GBL Project will raise the awareness of students, their parents, the school and the wider

community of the linkages of lifestyle choices and chronic non-communicable diseases like diabetes and high blood

pressure that are on the increase in The Bahamas. It is hoped that what they learn from the GBL Project will empower

them to make healthy lifestyle choices that would lead to healthier more productive lives.

We are appreciative of the provision of technical assistance by Camelta Barnes, Senior Public Health Nutritionist of the

Ministry of Health in helping us achieve the goals of this Project. We have greatly benefitted from the technical

assistance from Janice Albert, Nutrition Officer, and Carmen Dardano, Food and Nutrition Officer, both of whom are in

the FAO Rome Office and from Dr. Pauline Samuda, Nutrition Assessment Consultant, and FAO Jamaica. Mr. Hamblin

Newbold, Acting Assistant Director of Education for Science and Technology is the FAO Project Coordinator. Mrs.

Patrice Green, Administrative Assistant for Agriculture Science has given technical assistance in the area of

Agriculture. Dr. Karen St. Cyr, Coordinator of Regional Project serves as the National Curriculum Consultant and

organizer for school-based activities.

Hugh Campbell Primary Garden Based Learning Program (Grand Bahama)

IICA Bahamas Today Page 3

Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC) and Ministry of Tourism and Aviation will be hosting the 13th BahamArts Festival at the Heritage Village, Arawak Cay (Fish Fry Site) during the last weekend of October 29th 31st 2010. They are planning to make this event bigger and better than previous years as we reflect on the achievements and developments throughout the years of the Handicraft and Souvenir Industry throughout the nation. The Theme for the Festival is Endless Possibilities. The Festival will incorporate the Industry of Arts, Crafts, Souvenirs, Clothing, Accessories, Jewelry, along with Packaged and Processed Foods. The Festivals purpose is to bring together artisans and artists throughout The Bahamas to create a Craft Village, highlighting indigenous Bahamian-made products. An array of beautiful products will be displayed throughout the one hundred (100) booths during the three (3) day event. As in past festivals, the Best Booth Competition will again be held. This year we expect participation from 30 Family Island Handicraft Associations which have been formed as a result of BAICs intense handicraft training initiatives throughout the Family Islands over the past three (3) years.

BahamArts 2010:

Summer Student Program 2010:

The youth of the nation can play an active role in the economy as young entrepreneurs and improve the image of Agriculture, to create employment and positively affect our food production. The IICA Bahamas Office has successfully completed another summer student internship program during the month of August. The first summer student program was held in the summer of 2007 with two graduating high school students (Michelle Davis from Government High School [GHS] and Kippling Thompson from North Andros High School). The targeted strategy is to attract promising Agriculture students for summer internship. The program is designed to expose the candidate to all options available for career planning and advancement, using existing successful models in The Bahamas. This year, the students were Nahassah Flowers, Jr. (C. V. Bethel Senior High School) and Deon D. Gibson (second year student at the University of Agriculture in Havana, Cuba). This years program was implemented in conjunction with the Bahamas Cooperative League Ltd. (BCLL). The League has an interest in our youth via their youth cooperatives. Youth cooperatives provide an opportunity for students to learn how to use money wisely, learn the importance of saving and acquire the discipline of running a successful business. They also have a scholarship to College of the Bahamas for Agriculture. We thank the League for partnering with IICA. Please check out the information and photos from the Summer Student Program on our website at: http://www.iica.int/Eng/regiones/caribe/bahamas/summer/Pages/default.aspx

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.

Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

http://www.iica.int/Eng/regiones/caribe/bahamas/summer/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/martinluth402936.html

Page 4 IICA Bahamas Today

The next Agriculture Think Tank will feature Agribusiness. Mr. Lester Stuart from BAIC will speak to this subject on November 3,

2010. The Agriculture Think Tank will be held at the Finn Damtoft Agriculture Library from 4-5pm. BAIC will host the Agribusiness Possibilities roundtable on November 4th 7:00pm at the National Centre For the Performing Arts (Shirley Street). See you there!

Events for the first quarter:

July 10 Bahamas Independence Day

July 12-16 Office visit Mr. Robert Reid

July 29 Agriculture Think Tank Poultry in The Bahamas by Justin Taylor

July 26 August 27 Summer Student Internship Program

August 2-6 Third Forum of Young Leaders in Agriculture (University of Nebraska)

August 2 Emancipation Day Holiday

August 3 BAIC Soils Workshop

August 5 BHA Board Meeting

August 16-19 Agriculture Teachers Workshop

August 22-27 Small Ruminant Week

August 24-25 Dehydration Workshop at GRAC

August 26 Agriculture Think Tank Summer Student Final Presentation

August 30 Back-to-School

September 8 International Literacy Day

September 8-10 Caribbean Regional Meeting in Guyana

September 21 Belize Independence Day

September 28-29 CADIAC Workshop in Trinidad

September 30 Agriculture Think Tank Evaluation Day

IICA Bahamas Today Page 5

Garden Tips:

Grow nutritious foods that are easy to grow. If you are a first-timer, start with 2-3 crops.

Use of Manure or Compost can be added to fertilize the soil.

Watering your plants - Rainwater collected from roofs will help save on domestic water.

Covering with fine mesh (e.g. insect-proof greenhouse mesh) to prevent mosquito breeding, is critical.

Vegetables need adequate space to develop pro