By Melanie Pita, team teacher at CICD
Richmond Vale Academy – Our partner in the fight against Global Warming and Climate Change.
Nestled between lush mountains and the Caribbean Sea on the island of Saint Vincent, Richmond Vale Academy (RVA) is the destination of our Climate Activist programme.
Education and Action to create change!
When you join the Climate Activist programme you spend 3 months with studies and preparations here at CICD, before going to Saint Vincent – more specifically our partner RVA.
RVA is also a school, our sister school — a living example of how education and action can walk hand in hand to create real change. It was founded with the vision of training people to fight poverty and climate change through practical, community-based work.
The Climate Centre – a living classroom
Central to RVA’s mission is its Climate Centre, a model of sustainability and resilience and the reason why we have RVA as our destination for the project period for our Climate Activist programme. Richmond Vale Academy serves as both a learning hub and a demonstration site, showcasing renewable energy systems like solar power installations, sustainable farming practices, waste management, and climate adaptation strategies.
The Climate Centre is a living classroom where knowledge is applied directly to the needs of the environment and the local community.
Organic food production in local communities
The Home Gardens Project empowers local families to grow their own nutritious food, using organic and permaculture methods. What began as a small initiative to rebuild after the La Soufrière volcano eruption in 2021, has grown into a movement for food security and independence.
More than a thousand home gardens have been established across Saint Vincent, improving lives, strengthening communities, and reducing dependence on imported goods.
Coral restoration project
One of RVA’s most remarkable initiatives is its Coral Restoration Project, aimed at reviving the marine ecosystems that surround Saint Vincent. Through coral nurseries and replanting efforts, students and local divers work together to restore damaged reefs, protect biodiversity, and raise awareness about the urgent need to care for our oceans.
Alongside this, the Coastline Restoration Project focuses on planting mangroves and strengthening natural barriers to prevent coastal erosion — a vital step in protecting both people and ecosystems from the increasing impacts of climate change.
With our hands in the soil and our eyes on the future
RVA is also an ecological farm and a place of collective living. Every meal, every compost pile, every rebuilt terrace is part of a larger lesson — that change starts small, with our hands in the soil, our eyes on the horizon, and our hearts open to one another.
