Beyond the Bell: Spotlight Series on Operation Inspire’s Dynamic Project-Based Afterschool Programs
In 2017, Cane Bay Cares rolled out Operation Inspire’s afterschool program following hurricane Irma and Maria to address a gap in public school schedules. Today Operation inspire continues to offer this service at several public schools, on St. Croix, and is currently recognized by the USVI Economic Development Commission as a “public-school program.”
The program remains focused on providing students with opportunities to grow, innovate, and become lifelong learners who can make meaningful contributions to their communities. Throughout the next eight weeks, we will spotlight one class a week, showcasing the unique projects that students are working on during the 2024-2025 schoolyear.
This week’s featured program is Recycle, Reduce, Reuse.
As the world grapples with climate change and the growing waste crisis, a group of K-2nd graders on St. Croix are learning that even small actions can make a big difference. These young students are gaining the skills, and the mindset needed to confront some of the planet’s most pressing environmental issues.
In the “Recycle, Reduce, Reuse” class at Eulalie R. Rivera K-8 School, students are taking on the challenge of sustainability one piece of discarded material at a time. The idea is simple but powerful: if they can learn to turn everyday waste into something valuable, they’ll grow up understanding that small choices—like reusing or recycling—have big impacts.
Why Teach K- 2nd Graders About Sustainability?
Our planet is facing enormous challenges, from overflowing landfills to the loss of biodiversity. Waste production is at the heart of many of these problems, and while global solutions may seem far off, educating young minds about sustainability today can make a lasting difference.
In “Recycle, Reduce, Reuse,” students learn about the environmental consequences of waste, from plastic pollution in oceans to the strain landfills put on ecosystems.
But the beauty of this class lies in its hands-on, creative approach—students aren’t just learning about these issues, they’re actively participating in solving them. Each project teaches them how to look at waste in a different way, turning bottles, boxes, and cans into functional or artistic creations that are both practical and sustainable.
What Students Are Gaining
Beyond environmental awareness, this program encourages the kind of creative thinking and problem-solving that will serve students in every area of life. When they’re tasked with crafting something new from discarded materials, they’re also developing critical skills like innovation and resourcefulness. And by measuring how much waste they recycle; they’re building math and STEM skills while tracking real-world impact.
Through this course, students will not only learn the “Three Rs” of sustainability—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—but will also develop a deeper understanding of why waste reduction matters. These lessons help build the foundation for lifelong environmental responsibility, cultivating the habits and values needed to tackle broader issues like climate change, waste management, and conservation.
Just the Beginning
“Recycle, Reduce, Reuse” is the first of nine afterschool programs we’ll be spotlighting. Our upcoming features include:
- Outer Space & Planet Earth
- Sound Garden
- “Kidpreneurs” on the Rise
- Healthy Eating Around the World
- The Wonders of Coconut
- The Art of Persuasion
- Upcycling with STEAM
- Island Herbal Meds
Stay tuned to see how these bright minds are creating, learning, and shaping a more sustainable future!
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.