Optimists exposing students to island’s past

Students from across the island will soon have the opportunity to learn more about the island’s history, thanks to a recently-launched initiative by the Progressive Optimist Club (POC).

A group of Westbury Primary students was first to get a taste of the initiative Growth of Our Nation (GO ON) launched on Wednesday in collaboration with the Barbados Museum and Historical Society (BMHS) at its Garrison location.

The 50 students were invited to participate in the new exercise geared at educating them about more aspects of the island’s past.

Project Co-ordinator at POC, Cameron Sobers, told Barbados TODAY that though the club runs a number of initiatives in education, it was felt in the last few years that there needed to be a strong emphasis on Barbadian history being taught to students.

“We decided at the time that we needed to have a programme which allowed our children to get to know more about Barbados. We wanted to be able to supplement what is being taught in schools, and we decided what other better place to do that, than to come here to the Barbados Museum, so the children can actually see history living, and interact with it.”

He added: “Today’s session is more of a proof concept, where we brought together around 45 children from Class 3 and Class 4 at Westbury Primary, and it allows us to work through the logistics and the planning and the programming and so on.”

Sobers revealed that the club has big plans for the Independence period, as they aim to bring on board over 1000 students to participate in the project.

“What we are looking at eventually, probably in the month of Independence, is to bring together around 1000 children over the course of a week, and give all of them that opportunity to live and breathe the history of Barbados.

“Of course, once we have it as a full national programme at that point, because we will introduce it to the other Optimist clubs in Barbados, we will be looking at other opportunities where we can continue to expand on the whole concept of ‘Growth of Our Nation’.”  

Individuals or organisations who are interested in partnering with the club on the project, may visit the club’s website, progressiveoptimist.org, for more information. (SB)