6 Months Climate Activism in the Caribbean

I strongly advise against this program for several reasons. Firstly, be aware that many recent positive comments were intentionally added to drown out severe critiques highlighting the mistreatment endured this year. Initially, there were 20 of us, including 12 international students (2 boys and 9 girls) and 8 local boys; however, ALL the girls left before the program ended. I strongly encourage you to read my colleagues' negative comments.

Several aspects of this school are problematic: the quality of teaching, corruption, staff behavior, living conditions, safety issues, and challenges faced by some students. Aside from hygiene problems and food shortages, I particularly want to address the conduct of the organization, which deserves firm condemnation.

The teaching was poor; the teachers lacked qualifications for subjects related to climate change like natural sciences. Often, we had to prepare our own lessons, and poor organization significantly disrupted activities. The initial activities overly focused on school and maintenance.

The lack of professionalism among the teachers was severe. From the outset, they sought inappropriate relationships with female students. Alc***, substance use, and inappropriate relationships were widespread at RVA, contributing to an unhealthy atmosphere that led to a female teacher leaving in January along with many students.

Teachers displayed mean and authoritarian behavior without justification, targeting girls who reported misconduct. Reports of abuse were disregarded under the guise of "cultural differences," leaving students unprotected from predatory behaviors, even when violating zero-tolerance policies on alcoh** and substances.

Furthermore, during our move to the communities, due to lack of organization and communication, we spent two weeks without money to buy groceries. We had very little food and were very weak. Indeed, the organization refused to give us money, claiming that we needed to submit a "request" that takes 1 to 2 weeks to process. A teacher, Elizabeth, had to give us money out of her own pocket so that we could eat, a situation that is unacceptable on top of the physical work we were doing.

The program's neglect of safety, prioritizing local interests over student well-being, became unbearable. The aggressive and disdainful behavior of teachers, including individuals like Nemron and Calvert, epitomized organizational failure.

Here are a few relevant points: unfortunately, other negative events have occurred. Please do not attempt to respond to my comment dishonestly, as you have done in the past.
Go check out the "Richmond Vale Academy Alert Group" on Facebook.
Despite these challenges, I appreciate the warm welcome from the island's inhabitants. It's a beautiful archipelago, and I hope to return someday.

It was a period in my life where I had the most fun, laughed the most, and gained a lot of experience in many ways. I improved my language skills, made friends from many different countries, and learned to cook various dishes. When I returned to Turkey, I tried to make these dishes as much as possible. I learned through my school classes that I actually knew nothing about global warming. The sincerity and helpfulness of the local people touched my heart. Being able to swim with the ocean on one side and the forest on the other was wonderful. Swimming with plankton at night was indescribable. It was a very different experience in my life. I am very grateful to everyone there for contributing to this valuable experience.

I started the 6 months program at RVA when I was 19 and I experienced a lot here and I met a lot of amazing people whom I still have contact with today. They came from all over the world. I started to see the world in a different perspective because everyone comes here with a different background and story to tell about their country and themselves and that made me realize that the world is not always what you seem to think watching the news.
I learned about climate change and how it affects the world and everything around us, I am happy that I learned this because I didnt know nothing about it when I first came here.
I was actually surprised that climate was a crisis and it caught my attention cause when I made research and put one and one together it all made sense thinking of all the floodings we have had in St Vincent.
I learned how to make home gardens with my team - we were spread into 3 groups. My group made 2 big home gardens in Chato and Troumaca. It was a challenging and interesting period because we built the gardens from scratch. We learned about permaculture and implementing the design principles at the same time.
After the program I left for a couple of years and then returned to become Coral Reef gardener. I got certified padi open water and advanced and I learned about the corals that they alive and they are endangered because the oceans are acidifying and pollution. So we are working on restoring them back to life and populate the coastal areas that were lost.
I came to RVA as a young man of 19. I am now 25 and I have learned a lot working with RVA and I am very grateful for what I have learned and I want to do more in the future.

From November 2021 until April 2022, I spent six months learning about the challenges of climate change, building ecological home gardens and, most importantly, getting to know people from many different cultures and myself a bit better.

When I decided to join the Climate Compliance Program, I had a lot of expectations of how I wanted to explore this paradisic Island, learn about the effects of contemporary environmental issues and have a positive impact myself. In truth, many things weren't as expected. Especially, at the beginning it was hard to realize that in the project thing don't always go as planned. But I like to think that all the experiences I‘ve made, whether they were good or bad had a lesson to teach me.

Overall, I had an amazing experience of discovering St Vincent and its beautiful, warm and loving culture. It is incredible how much I learned about nature, myself and the world we live in. Some of these things you will be taught by your teacher, some by the amazing people you will meet, and some you will just have to discover yourself. Whatever you expect when you decide to join Richmond Vale Academy, I promise you it will be different. You will have an amazing time with unexpected adventures, inspiring acquaintances as well as many challenges. But this is how you wil grow.

Absolutely delightful experience! From the warm ambiance to the impeccable service, every moment was a joy. Their dedication to community through their volunteer system left a lasting impression. Highly recommend for a good experience! I would like to express my gratitude for the wonderful opportunity to participate in this volunteer-based project. Joining this project has not only allowed me to meet new people but also provided me with a chance to develop myself. The energy and excitement I felt while working together were truly motivating. It was an honor for me to be involved in the project.

Richmond Vale Academy stands out as a unique educational institution, with a distinctive type of educators. Working alongside the Academy was a truly defining moment in my life, merging theory with practice in a way that deepens understanding of the society we inhabit was profoundly impactful.

The teaching council, comprised of individuals from various nationalities, fostered a rich multicultural environment that emphasized the value of dialogue and active participation in shaping our collective existence.

The Academy's pedagogical approach closely aligns with the philosophy of Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, aiming to cultivate individuals who are community-minded and prepared to transform reality by tackling social and environmental challenges.

The school's infrastructure is exceptionally well-equipped, providing a safe and engaging environment for those seeking an international experience. The participatory methodologies employed here involve everyone in a collaborative and egalitarian manner, truly embodying the essence of cohesive and affectionate education.

When I started my Program in Canada on November 2021 I was in a really bad spot mentally. I just had broken up with my girlfriend of over two years. But this program gave me the chance to reinvent myself. I could be anyone because no one knew the old me, so I had this amazing opportunity to basically start over. And I did. Inspired from my teammates and my teacher I decided that I wanted to come back to Germany with the attitude to be the happiest person in the room. This was not a decision I made over night. It rather was something I started to want over time. Because it was thanks to my teacher and my amazing friends in the program I was forced to self reflect on the person I was so far and the life I had back in Germany. I never realized before that how good I had it. These 6 months were by far my most favorite 6 months of my life. I learned so much about me, about my life, people from different countries with different cultural backgrounds. I have changed and grown so much thanks to this opportunity and I have changed for the better.

First of all, Richmond Vale Academy in Saint Vincent and Grenadines offers you a unique experience that everyone must be a part of for some period of time in their lifetime. It also offers a great learning opportunity that combines education, community engagement, and environmental sustainability. The warm hearted staff both from local communities and different countries are very supportive, welcoming, knowledgeable and very friendly. I have learned a lot and had long lasting friendships all around the world along the way. I genuinely and highly recommend everyone who are looking for an impactful and engaging learning experience.