Beyond the Bell: Part 6 – Coconut Creations: Health & Art Adventures
Operation Inspire’s afterschool program is always looking for creative and educational ways to engage young minds. This installation of the Beyond the Bell series spotlights a program that focuses on one incredible natural resource: the coconut. Beyond being a tropical treat, the coconut offers a surprising range of uses that touch on science, sustainability, and culture.
The “Coconut Creations: Health & Art Adventures” program at Ricardo Richards Elementary School is designed for 3rd-5th graders and is showing these young learners how to utilize the various parts of a coconut to naturally improve their health and create unique pieces of art.
Why focus on coconuts?
Focusing on coconuts offers a unique opportunity to combine education, sustainability, and cultural awareness in a fun and interactive way.
Coconut trees are widely seen on St. Croix and offer a wide range of health benefits and versatility, making them a valuable resource. This program offers students the opportunity to learn about resourcefulness and innovation by exploring the many uses of coconuts, such as food, crafts, and sustainability, using a hands-on minds-on approach.
What does the program cover?
The “Coconut Creations: Health & Art Adventures” allows students to explore the significance of coconuts in cuisines, festivals, and traditions, broadening their understanding of cultural diversity while focusing on a variety of engaging STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) activities.
STEAM fosters a combination of technical and soft skills like critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. As part of this program, students practice measurements and ratios; conduct science experiments; analyze coconut products for nutrition content; and use their imaginations to create unique works of art.
The coconut is a reminder that even the simplest things can lead to a world of discoveries if you use your imagination.
Upon completion of the “Coconut Creations: Health & Art Adventures” program students will be able to educate their peers and members of their community about the health and recreational benefits of coconuts, create healthy products and a variety of arts and craft using coconuts.
Stay connected to learn more about Cane Bay Cares’ afterschool program, Operation Inspire. Our next blog will focus on another great program that encourages creativity, innovation, and hands-on learning.
Cane Bay Cares is a service initiative of St. Croix-based Cane Bay Partners VI, LLLP. Cane Bay Cares was established after three strong hurricanes, including two Category 5 storms, Irma and Maria, caused much damage to St. Croix during September 2017. The initiative has a goal of providing relief to the citizens of St. Croix. To make this possible, we have partnered with St. Croix Foundation, which is a 501c3 nonprofit that was established in 1990. All donations to Cane Bay Cares are donations to St. Croix Foundation and are 100% tax deductible.
Cane Bay Partners VI, LLLP was formed in June 2009 and founded by internationally experienced business executives with many years of experience in the financial services industry. Focusing our efforts primarily in the financial services industry, our management consulting practice specializes in providing services to clients in need of sophisticated risk management models, debt collections organizations which require liquidation models and analytics, and portfolio management companies desiring a variety of services.
Since 1990, St. Croix Foundation for Community Development has been advancing holistic community development as a pathway to economic prosperity, self-sufficiency, and sustainability. Established in the wake of Hurricane Hugo, today the Foundation is one of the premier place-based philanthropic leaders in the Virgin Islands. Having served as the conduit of over $37 million private and public sector dollars invested into the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Foundation’s impact has netted national recognition in almost every priority area – from economic development and community revitalization to public health, education reform, and nonprofit development. Our mission is to encourage greater philanthropic activity, to marshal resources, and to act as a catalyst to benefit the people of the Virgin Islands.