One of the Rotary Club of Tortola’s key community service projects for the current Rotary year and ongoing project is its Anti-Litter Campaign. The environment, Rotary’s newest area of focus and the Club has decided to become more actively involved in environmental initiatives beyond the occasional clean ups and to do its part to assist in addressing the litter and waste management problems in the Virgin Islands. The main thrust of the campaign is a series of messaging initiatives that the Club will put forth with the aim of influencing the mindset of the public to result in gradual positive change in attitude and behavior towards littering and the management of waste. The Club intends to host a neighborhood beautification competition and undertake some clean up/beautification projects in various areas around the Virgin Islands as part of the campaign, teaming up with various strategic partners through the course of the campaign.
In collaboration with Green VI and the Department of Solid Waste, the Club launched the campaign in December 2022 with an anti-litter poster competition. The Club invited children from ages 6-16 to design a poster that would send a strong message to the community against littering and encouraging proper garbage disposal.
The Club received over 50 submissions from 6 schools across Tortola with Century House Montessori school submitting the most entries. The judges for the competition were renowned local artist Reuben Vanterpool, artist Debi Carson of Art Without Limits and Ellie Crespi, a member of the Club and lover of children’s art. After careful evaluation of each submission, the judges selected the following students as winners:
Age category 6-7
1. Tobias Evans- Montessori
2. Shanea John- AMPS
3. Nia Loi Wright- Cedar International
Honorable mention: Kiara Sorrentino – Montessori
Age category 8-11
1. Dinneiqua Cameron- JSPS
2. Ashanti Partab- AMPS
3. Tianna DaSilva- JSPS
Honorable mention: Maggie Nolan- Montessori
Age category 12-16
1. Tykai Fahie- Elmore Stoutt High School
2. Sara Augustine- St. George’s Secondary
3. Mary Torio- St George’s Secondary
Honorable mention: Zara Pascoe- Cedar International
Small award ceremonies were held last week at three of the participating schools to award the winners and participants with prizes. The remaining awards ceremonies will take place next week. President Valerie expressed delight at the outcome of the poster competition stating “We can think of no better way to convey the anti-litter message than through children’s art and we heartily congratulate and are grateful to all of the schools and the students who participated in the competition. They delivered truly impactful works of art that gave the judges a lot to think about in their deliberations. We really hope that the general public will pay attention to the messages the children are sending through their art and consider changing their behavior in relation to littering.”
Apart from the tangible prizes presented to the winners, crucially, the winning submissions will be incorporated into the anti-litter campaign that will be progressed in the new Rotary year so that the children’s artwork and messages can be seen by all. The art will be displayed on posters erected strategically all over the island, on billboards and on recyclable shopping bags to be put out by the Club to help spread the campaign messages.
The Club expresses thanks and appreciation to Paradise Watersports in Cane Garden Bay and the Pottery Garden in Josiahs Bay for sponsoring some of the prizes and to the judges of the competition for giving of their time and attention to the project. The Club would be happy to hear from any individual or corporate persons who wish to partner with the Club to drive change through the campaign.