PHOTO CAPTION: C.R. Walker students, staff, and administration join community partners in celebrating historical Eco-Schools Green Flag Award.
NASSAU, The Bahamas – Last Friday, at a special on-campus recognition ceremony, RF Bank & Trust (RF) and other community partners joined The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) in celebrating C.R. Walker Senior High School’s historic achievement of being named the first government Eco-School in New Providence.
RF was proud to kickstart C.R. Walker’s journey to becoming an Eco-School through a multi-year partnership which included the construction of a fully outfitted greenhouse on campus, complete with seeds, soil, and gardening equipment. In promoting experiential learning and student engagement in agriculture—an underdeveloped sector of the Bahamian economy—RF Bank & Trust underscored its dedication to youth empowerment, civic stewardship, and sustainable development.
Highlighting imbalances in the Bahamian job market, Minister Lightbourne urged students in his remarks to consider careers in labour-strapped fields vital for national development. “Environmental scientists are in high demand,” he noted, “and employers are prepared to offer competitive salaries to attract qualified professionals.”
C.R. Walker’s Eco-School Green Flag Award, which is subject to annual assessment, is a globally recognised certification which honours environmentally alert institutions that champion and sustain the ecological achievements of young people. Mrs. Johnette Morris, Eco-School coordinator, was delighted to receive the distinguished award, which involves conducting a sustainability audit to determine an institution’s environmental impact, creating and monitoring the impact of an action plan, embedding ecological practices in the broader curriculum, and producing an eco-code—a memorable mantra that captures the school’s sustainability ethos.
Thanking his fellow club members and the broader school community for their hard work, Eco-Club president Uriel Knowles stated: “The achievement of the Green Flag reflects our commitment to our eco-code, ‘C.R. Walker Knights: Protectors of the Earth’, and our continued responsibility to lead by example within our school and our community.”
Director of Education Mrs. Dominique McCartney-Russell, noting that the Ministry of Education & Technical & Vocational Training is mandated to promote environmental stewardship, declared: “It is our vision that all 161 public schools will embrace the Eco-School framework.”
In her closing remarks, C.R. Walker Principal Triver Culmer encouraged the school community to take pride in their tremendous achievement, offering special thanks to community partners like RF Bank & Trust, “who sowed the first seed and made this moment possible.”
In addition to its greenhouse donation, RF Bank & Trust has supported C.R. Walker through further campus enhancements, such as the renovation of its staff room, while driving youth development through annual expert-led financial literacy sessions.
“Supporting young people and environmental stewardship are two of our greatest priorities as a responsible, ethically ambitious firm,” said Ethan Knowles, regional communications supervisor at RF Bank & Trust. “We’re proud to have partnered with C.R. Walker to make history and we look forward to future collaborations that carry lasting national impact.”
About RF Bank & Trust
Since its inception in 1997, RF has been committed to helping clients create and manage wealth. The firm has helped clients raise over USD $2.2 billion in capital, manages $1.5 billion in assets, and administers over $2 billion. RF offers a broad range of financial solutions including Mutual Funds, Investment Management, Investment Banking, Group & Personal Pension Plans, Stock Brokerage, and Trust & Estate Planning.
For more information, please visit http://www.www.rfgroup.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @rfbanktrust.
MEDIA CONTACT
Ethan Knowles
Regional Communications Supervisor
RF Bank & Trust
603-6000
