By Alejandra Garcia | Executive Director
Through Un Batey Más Verde, Yspaniola continues to promote environmental education, responsible solid-waste management, and community involvement in Batey Libertad. The project recognizes that lasting environmental change depends on helping children, families, teachers, and community leaders understand their shared responsibility for maintaining a healthy and safe community.
An important component of the project has been the implementation of environmental workshops at the Batey Libertad public school. These sessions have introduced students to topics such as waste reduction, proper management of waste, recycling, environmental responsibility, and the protection of shared community spaces. Through practical activities and interactive lessons, children have learned that their daily decisions can contribute to a cleaner community.
The workshops have also helped connect environmental education with action. Students are encouraged to apply what they learn in their classrooms, homes, and neighborhoods, strengthening their role as environmental ambassadors within their families. By working with the school and its teachers, Yspaniola is helping ensure that environmental awareness becomes part of the children’s broader educational experience rather than a one-time activity.
Beyond the school, Yspaniola has worked closely with residents, local leaders, public institutions, and volunteers to strengthen community ownership of the project. In May, a community environmental clean up day was organized with the support of the Maizal City Council, local environmental authorities, and a Yale service group. Thanks to our community committee, established last June, we have been able to coordinate activities, identify local priorities, and encourage residents to participate in the care of public spaces.
Additional activities have included workshops within the community on responsible waste management and recycling, expanding our education programming for adults in our community as well. We also carry out a Reading Hour at our Learning Center, in which every Friday we give a lesson about the environment and local stewardship. Finally, most recently we have piloted an expanded version of our public school workshop, we have begun giving similar workshops to other schools in the Maizal region working with elementary, middle, and highschool aged students. These experiences have allowed us to raise environmental awareness within our community and beyond it, creating a local movement that benefits all.
By Yspaniola Team | Yspaniola Team
By Ariana Ramos Mercado | Operations and Development Fellow
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