Mission of the Central Pathfinders Environmental Foundation: Building the capacity of young adults to promote ecological conservation through sustainable environmental and agricultural awareness and development.
Problem the project aims to address: It is becoming increasingly challenging to gain and keep the attention of today’s youth using traditional teaching methods. As a result, teachers are continuously trying to develop novel teaching aids and methods to ensure the information being disseminated reaches its desired target. It is believed that a hands-on project such as Eco-Info Garden [EIG] will contribute to the alleviation of poor academic achievement/performance at the Warrenville Presbyterian School while fostering greater appreciation for the natural environment among the students.

Main Stakeholders: The main stakeholders of the project are the teachers of the Warrenville Presbyterian School, the student population and their parents. Additionally as this project is very close to the community so too all other villagers.

Goal and Objectives: The goal of the project is to help improve student academic performance by providing an interactive teaching aid and green space, which exposes students to environmental concerns, conservation techniques, ecology and agricultural science while supplementing in-class/theoretical learning. The goal shall be met via the following objectives:
• To increase the awareness of at least 75 student in environmental / agricultural issues by hosting a six week long competition among the junior department [Standards 1 to 3] of the school.
• To produce a minimum of 12 pieces of educational signage generated from the winners of the art/poster competition to be erected in the Garden area, to act as novel teaching aids which will grab the attention of all 525 students of the school and ensure that the information being disseminated reaches its target.
• To construct, within 3 months of the completion of the educational signage, art/ poster competition, a green space on the school’s compound, occupying an area of 840 square feet, to act as a non-traditional learning environment, enhance the aesthetic value of the school and also provide space for agriculture.
• To increase the suitability and availability of space in the school, for planting crops under its agricultural science programme from 100 square feet to 315 square feet via planter troughs.

Main Results: At end of the project we expect a positive change in the awareness and culture of, at least 50% of the school’s students where they are more appreciative and knowledgeable of agricultural and environmental issues through direct exposure to key principles via the educational signage and interaction in the garden.

At the end of the agricultural / environmental awareness workshops at least 75% of the students in the junior department should be motivated and eager to continue learning and performing at a higher standard with regards to science studies.

The project will produce twelve pieces of educational signage, which will be selected from the art/poster competition, a beautifully landscaped green space occupying 840 square feet within the school’s compound comprising of a small local fish pond, garden benches, ornamental plants and agricultural planters/troughs and one hundred head of lettuce and chive plants produce from agricultural planting in the garden.

Main Activities: The project will be executed through a series of agricultural / environmental awareness workshops to be followed by an art/poster competition. The winning pieces from the competition will be used to develop educational signage in the garden component of the project. The Garden will be used to improve the aesthetics of the school and also provide arable planting space to meet the school’s agri-science curriculum needs.
Total costs of the project: The project is estimated to have a total cost of US$ 20,630.98 / TTD $133,069.82