Sandals Foundation and Good Humans Inc. Partner for Disabilities’ Employment and Environmental Education.

The Sandals Foundation has partnered with Good Humans 268 Inc. for a yearlong Student Community Service Project to educate 17,000 students in Antigua on environmental conservation and disability awareness.

The project, endorsed by the Ministry of Health, aims to reduce waste through recycling initiatives. Recycling bins will be placed in all 82 public and private schools across the island, and 85,000 aluminum cans and 765,000 plastic bottles will be recycled.

The project will also create employment opportunities for 20 people living with disabilities.

Good Humans 268 Inc. will work with local recycling companies – the WISH Foundation, the Plastic Waste Free Islands Initiative and the Antigua and Barbuda Waste Recycling Corporation – to sort and clean the recycled materials.

The Ministry of Health will provide a stipend to participants. The Student Community Service Project integrates recycling, volunteering, and tree planting into students’ daily lives from kindergarten (age 6) to Form Five (age 12).

The project aims to cultivate students’ sense of responsibility, awareness, and commitment to environmental conservation and to showcase the vital role of people living with disabilities in climate action.

The Sandals Foundation has invested USD $48,000 into the Student Community Service Project to demonstrate its commitment to environmental stewardship and building a sustainable future.

David Latchimy, General Manager at Sandals Antigua, said the foundation champions the three Rs of conservation: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, and aims to minimize waste and maximize sustainability. The foundation equips communities with the tools needed to make a meaningful impact on the environment through education and outreach programs.

The pilot Student Community Service Project started at All Saints Secondary School. At the end of the 2022-2023 school year, the organization planted over 200 trees and recycled over 30,000 bottles and cans.

The 2023-2024 academic year sees the participation of all private and public schools, along with six organizations working to promote youth environmental stewardship and reduce plastic and metal pollution in Antigua.