Twenty-two primary schools across St Ann are vying for prizes in an inaugural quiz competition targeted at raising awareness around climate change and environmental preservation.

The quiz competition, which runs from October 9 to 23, is the brain child of the Cause for Change Foundation (CFCF) in partnership with roughly 15 sponsors.

“Improper garbage disposal and other environmental practices are a major issue in Brown’s Town, St Ann, and this new quiz aims to shape a generation of school children and community residents who view environmental preservation not as a remote concern, but as a way of life,” says Richardo Aiken, Principal Director of CFCF.

The competition, which is being held under the theme, ‘Conserve, Preserve, Revive’, evolved from a culture of quizzing that is already alive in St Ann schools, according to Aiken.

“We wanted to bring that to environmental conservation, making it enjoyable and impactful…that would create something scalable,” he said.

An accompanying expo will be held at the St Hilda’s Diocesean High School Auditorium on the final day of the event.

The format will involve a preliminary round of 22 teams, scaling down to 16 in the second round. Afterwards, there will be quarterfinals and semifinals rounds before culminating in the grand final on October 23.

Content spans a range of environmental topics like water harvesting, recycling renewable energy and general environmental stewardship.

“We want these participants to see themselves as capable change agents who can make a real difference in protecting Jamaica’s natural beauty,” Andre Robb, VM Foundation Programme Lead and title sponsors of the quiz, said.

Karlene Segree, Ministry of Education, Region 3, Director, Regional Education Services

“Ultimately, we are contributing to the molding of a generation that thinks sustainability first,” he explained.

The champion school will walk away with $100,000, while second place will be awarded $50,000. The cash prizes will be $30,000 and $20,000 for 3rd and 4th places, respectively.

Additional prizes meant to build the schools’ environmental consciousness include garden kits from the St Ann 4-H Club, recycling bins provided by Jamaica Environment Trust and contributions pledged to participants by Member of Parliament for St Ann North Western, Krystal Lee

The Ministry of Education, Region 3, is also a partner and its Director, Regional Education Services, Karlene Segree sees it as a model for blending environmental education into schools.

“It is a successful blueprint for integrating environmental and climate awareness into schools here in this Quality Education Circle and beyond,” she said.

The primary school focus is strategic.

“At this stage there’s a lot of appetite for information. These young children are great animators and tellers of stories…absorptive of new ideas…they can easily start interactions within their families,” said Aiken.

CFCF hopes the lessons learnt on sustainability will spark a domino effect, influencing families and broader communities towards more climate-conscious behaviours.

CFCF had its genesis during the COVID 19 crisis. Aiken and a group of friends would stage regular cook-offs meant to elevate spirits, attracting a large social media following. Beyond the fun and friendly rivalry, the group realised the building blocks of something more enduring.

“Amidst the fun and the bantering that went with the cook-off, we also thought there is more to give if we came together…giving back, making people happy, making people smile,” Aiken recalled.

(From left) Cause for Change Foundation members Doren Watson, Stevoid Spooner and Sweelan Renaud.

That idea morphed into CFCF, registered in 2021, with other directors Alfred Thomas, Doren Watson, Steviod Spooner and Junior Bennett, and a pool of volunteers sustaining its operations.

Over the years, feeding the homeless on New Year’s Day, supporting children with disabilities (Widow’s Mite in St Ann) and providing school vouchers and other back-to-school assistance to students have featured on the foundation’s roster.

Sponsors such as Derhone Campbell, CEO of A-Team Construction and Head of Industrial Technology Department at York Castle High School, prepared all the quiz questions relating to water harvesting.

“Construction is linked to the environment …The fact that we manipulate the natural environment to facilitate a built environment, some preservation must be done,” Campbell said, pointing to his business’ ongoing practice of incorporating rainwater harvesting systems, like rooftop catchments and underground tanks, into every housing design.

Likewise, Conroy Campbell of 4Cs Construction & Car Wash, links support to renewable energy and water conservation practices, principles that will inform his expanded construction business, and soon-to-open car wash in Brown’s Town, where recycled water will be used.

“We’ve been using solar energy for EV chargers, LED lightning, and water recycling systems,” he explained, offering that a percentage of profit will fund environmental sustainability activities in selected schools.

“Hopefully, it [the quiz] will help students come up with something better,” he said.

New York-based Lorrel Moncrieffe, popularly known as DJ Gerber and a long-standing sponsor of CFCF, amplifies the link between music and message.

“During my sets, I try to incorporate the song ‘Leave the trees and let them be’. I would stop the music and educate the audience. We burn everything. If we can find a way to recycle properly, that would make a difference,” he said.

Event promotors are also rallying behind the cause. Peter Lawrence, founder of Altitude Promotion – Cheap & Clean Events, thinks children should be reached early.

“We have to start at a young age to promote environmental sustainability,” Lawrence said.

Supporting the quiz is a natural fit. He uses recyclable cups at his events, intends to promote environmental protection in event ads, and assists in a selected school’s climate initiative. Additionally, Calvin Poorman of EazziAccess Promotions and Variety Store includes garbage separation at events, uses recyclable cups & plates as well as ramping up the rhetoric on environmental messages in his ads: “I remind them (patrons) to dispose of their garbage in designated areas, part of the marketing strategy to push the environmental message as well. It’s important for the environment to be kept clean.”

Sharing the conviction as well is Brown’s Town-based Fada Chambers One Stop Supermarket whose business supports reusable items and paper-based products over plastic.

“The Cause for Change Foundation is one of the better ones and if I can play a role to support them in an environmental programme, I will,” owner Howard Chambers said.

Other sponsors in this broad coalition include Jamaica Valley, Gaynor’s Funeral Services, Goldeneye Foundation, KoK Lawncare and Service Center, Nelson’s Printery, Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary, Discovery Bay Marine Lab, Island Dairies and the St Ann Municipal Corporation.

Integral to the competition’s legacy is a new manual on environmental preservation, developed by partner The University of the West Indies Western Campus. Its design – spruced up with engaging and interactive content – has the children at heart.

“This will be our key knowledge product. It will be age-appropriate, have graphics and illustrations, allowing the users of the manual to have a greater appreciation, not just for the question and answers, but for the overall content as well, “Aiken said.

Copies will be distributed across libraries in St Ann, Ministry of Education, and the participating schools.