CHOGM Outreach Reaches 297 Barbuda Students Ahead of Town Hall Meetings

The CHOGM 2026 school outreach programme reached 297 students in Barbuda on Tuesday, giving young people on the sister island an opportunity to learn about the Commonwealth and Antigua and Barbuda’s role as host.

The visits engaged 176 students at Holy Trinity Primary School and 121 at Sir McChesney George Secondary School. Another 71 teachers and school personnel participated, bringing the total number reached across both institutions to 368.

The sessions combined discussions with colouring activities, word searches and “Find Our Commonwealth” exercises. Each student received the full set of outreach activities to support participation and continued learning beyond the classroom sessions.

Outreach Lead Wakizia Thomas said the visits reflected a commitment to including Barbuda in the national preparations.

“These visits form part of a larger push to ensure that our sister island is part of the conversation around CHOGM and that young people in Barbuda have the opportunity to learn, contribute and share in this national milestone,” Thomas said.

Joshuanette Francis of Good Humans 268 said taking the programme to Barbuda was especially meaningful given the island’s exclusion from some activities held in Antigua.

“Too often, activities taking place on the mainland have not included Barbudans, so being here to speak with students about CHOGM is especially meaningful,” Francis said.

She also welcomed the opportunity for every student to receive the activities and participate in the programme.

For Chaneil Imhoff, CHOGM 2026 Branding and General Advertising Lead and designer of the official logo, the visit connected the outreach directly with the inspiration behind the summit’s visual identity.

“The Frigate bird motif in the CHOGM 2026 logo draws on an unmistakable part of Barbuda’s identity, and it was deeply meaningful to bring that story to students on the island that inspired it,” Imhoff said.

She described the visit as a “full-circle moment,” saying the creative exercises helped students connect with CHOGM and reinforced the significance of the occasion for both islands.

With the national school tour entering its final phase, the Outreach Sub-Committee is preparing targeted town hall meetings to extend engagement into communities.

The meetings will give residents opportunities to ask questions, learn more about the country’s hosting role and discuss how CHOGM will affect them. Organisers intend to build on the school programme by widening public participation and awareness across Antigua and Barbuda.