The OI Educator Behind Real-World Learning in One St. Croix Classroom
Last school year, a group of third and fourth graders at Ricardo Richards Elementary transformed raw coconuts into a host of value-added products.
Jewelry. Bottled Coconut Oil. Fresh Coconut Water Drinks. All showcased at varying locations.
The guiding force behind the young entrepreneurs?
Instructor Sonia Antoine-Florence.
Florence, an educator for that past 12 years, believes firmly in hands-on, student-centered learning where students make meaningful connections with what they’re learning.
In 2021, she began working with the Operation Inspire (OI) afterschool program, Cane Bay Cares’ education initiative grounded in that same principle:
Students learn by doing.
An Award-Winning Approach to Project-Based Learning
Experts call this concept project-based learning (PBL). And Florence’s approach to bringing PBL to life earned her OI’s “Best Overall PBL Showcase Presentation” award for the 2024-2025 school year.
Florence, alongside Jr. Instructor Kester Skepple, worked with students to convert raw coconut material into health and beauty products.
During their annual showcase, the students presented “The Wonders of Coconut” to a room full of parents, students, teachers, and supporters. Their coconut-based products were on display. And by the end, they had turned the school cafeteria into a runway, modeling their handmade jewelry.
Entertaining? Absolutely.
But the impact runs deeper.
“Project-based learning encourages students to be problem-solvers and thinkers,” Florence said. “It’s beyond simply memorizing facts for an exam; it makes learning more meaningful.”
Where Learning Becomes Real for Everyone in the Room
For Florence, working within this model is just as impactful for her as it is for her students.
“It motivates me to create more real-word projects that makes learning feel relevant and exciting for my students,” she said.
This year, her students are focusing on identifying kid-friendly spots on St. Croix and promoting them on TikTok.
The project pushes them to think critically about their environment and their role in shaping it. In this case, they’re highlighting opportunities for stronger community engagement and family connection.
“One of my proudest moments was witnessing my students call various businesses to request permission to feature them in our TikTok videos,” she said. “For many of these students, making a telephone call like that was a new experience… It was wonderful to see them step out of their comfort zones and develop communication skills.”
Teaching Within the Reality of the USVI
Many students in the U.S. Virgin Islands public school system navigate challenges similar to those faced by inner city students on the mainland, including limited resources and economic hurdles.
Florence meets them in that reality.
OI’s hands-on learning approach, she says, is one of the many vehicles that can give students the critical skills and confidence they need to overcome some of the challenges they may encounter.
She isn’t afraid to get personal either.
Sharing her own experiences with struggle has helped her connect with students in need of encouragement.
“Students are often amazed to learn that their teacher has faced struggles like theirs, and this openness helps to build stronger relationships,” she said.
Overall, Florence has faith in USVI students’ potential for success.
After all, she’s seen them demonstrate “remarkable resilience” in spite of barriers.
She credits much of this to the “rich culture and strong community ties that are deeply rooted in the Virgin Islands”.
Building the Future for USVI Students
As the local education system evolves, Florence hopes to see more opportunities for students to:
Explore.
Experience challenges.
Engage in community-based projects.
Apply what they learn to real-life situations.
If that happens, she believes the future is clear. We’d have supported a generation of students who can “lead and innovate”.
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About Operation Inspire
Operation Inspire is the flagship education initiative sponsored and operated by Cane Bay Cares, the philanthropic arm of fintech consulting firm Cane Bay Partners. The program offers after-school enrichment through project-based learning at public schools across St. Croix.
The PBL approach focuses on developing 21st century skills including:
Critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, literacy, technology skills, effective, communication, leadership skills, productivity.
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.