Caribbean Visionary Educators celebrates 5th anniversary

Five years ago, a spark was ignited with a bold vision: to create a space where Caribbean educators could lead, collaborate, and inspire change. On July 1, 2020, that spark became a reality with the launch of Caribbean Visionary Educators (CVE), a platform committed to empowering educators through the creation and dissemination of culturally relevant, indigenous Caribbean educational content.

The idea for CVE emerged from a collective recognition by a group of Caribbean educators of an urgent need to contribute to narrowing a critical gap in the Caribbean educational landscape; the lack of access to culturally relevant, indigenous resources created by and for Caribbean educators. In 2019, led by Dr Freddy James, a team of professionals working at various levels across education sectors in Trinidad and Tobago initiated discussions on developing a repository of teaching and learning materials that were authentically Caribbean in perspective and content.

"It was a longstanding vision of mine to establish a platform that would support the professional development of Caribbean educators through culturally relevant, practitioner-driven resources," Dr James, CVE president said. She felt too often, the materials available to teachers and school leaders across the region came from Westernised contexts. And while valuable to an extent, these materials lacked the cultural flavour of the Caribbean’s context.

To narrow the gap in access to culturally relevant Caribbean-based educational resources, the group set out to create a community that would collaborate, collate, create, and share indigenous content. Dr James said , "CVE was officially launched as an online professional learning community, utilising multimodal digital platforms, with executive and founding members from Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and TT, and is led by a dedicated team of educators from across the Caribbean, including Jamaica, Guyana, Montserrat, and TT." They include Dr James, Alicia Massiah, Jonathan La Barrie, Anderson La Barrie, Dr Gertrude Shotte, Dr Viola Rowe, Ceceile Minott, Janne Williams, Dr Laurette Bristol, Shinelly James, Liselli Daniel, Charmaine Richardson, Lu-Ann Russell, Dr Rohan Jowallah and Rachel Williams bring years of experience in teaching, school leadership and educational research, and guide CVE’s vision, support its programmes, and create opportunities for professional growth and collaboration among educators throughout the region.

Professional development

In its debut year, CVE highlighted its relevance and timeliness amid the uncertainties surrounding the provision of education caused by the upheaval of the covid19 pandemic, capitalising on the opportunity in its Plain Talk Series: Education 2020 and Beyond. "This series outlined a vision for an updated education system that moves beyond its colonial roots. It included fostering a globally competitive society with the right skill sets and attitudes, promoting inclusive and equitable education, and ensuring schools have the infrastructure for blended learning," Dr Rowe said.

That same year, CVE showcased its commitment to youth empowerment with its 31 Days of Youth event, spotlighting exceptional young people from across the region. The year closed with the Cultivating an Attitude of Gratitude campaign, an event and competition that encouraged educators to reflect on lessons learned during an unprecedented year.

"In 2021, CVE continued its commitment to exploring timely educational issues through a series of insightful interviews and feature series, which included discussions on STEM vs. STEAM, a World Read Aloud Day video competition, and the significant contributions of Women and Girls in Science. In August 2021, CVE hosted a two-day international symposium titled Innovative Leadership: Building Education for the Future, which featured prominent thought leaders, including Professor Canute Thompson, pro-vice chancellor of the UWI, Mona; Dr Sylvia Henry, former director and instructional specialist, Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the UWI Cave Hill campus; professor of Educational Leadership and Social Justice Paul Miller; and Dr Gertrude Shotte. The symposium discussed key topics, including leading in the digital age, education during emergencies, and equity in education," Dr Rowe explained.

In February 2022, the crucial role of middle leaders in education was highlighted during the Building Bridges webinar, providing a platform for middle leaders from Guyana, St Lucia and TT to share their experiences, highlighting both the triumphs and challenges of their pivotal roles within schools. In the same year, CVE's second international symposium solidified its global reach by partnering with the International Forums of Inclusion Practitioners (IFIP) to host the International Inclusive Education Practices in the Caribbean conference.

"The event featured a keynote address by the then minister of education Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly, and brought together educators, policymakers, and inclusion specialists from across the region and beyond. The conference provided a platform for teachers and school leaders to discuss effective classroom differentiation, identify concrete strategies for addressing inclusive teaching challenges, learn from international practices, present solutions for daily hurdles in inclusive education in the Caribbean, and explore educational and assistive technologies that promote inclusion," Massiah said.

In August 2023, CVE hosted a two-day symposium. On the first day, Professional Learning for the Future Ready Educator explored innovative professional development in a technology-driven world, equipping educators with 21st-century skills. Speakers included Professor Brian Beatty, creator of the Hyflex model and data scientist Margaret John. On the second day, Confronting School Violence: A Solution-Focused Approach was led by executive director of Violence Prevention Alliance of Jamaica Dr Deana Ashley, who highlighted research and practical solutions for violence prevention.

Massiah said, "In February and March 2024, CVE launched its intellectually stimulating Decolonising Educational Leadership International Lecture Series, featuring lectures from scholars and practitioners...The series invited critical reflection on how colonial legacies persist in educational systems and leadership frameworks, and what must be done to forge equitable and inclusive paths forward."

CVE has partnered with the IFIP and serves as the official Caribbean representative for the organisation, through which it offers schools access to IFIP’s Global Inclusive Teaching Initiative (GITI) course, a professional development programme designed to help educators build inclusive classrooms and schools to support diverse learners. This collaboration strengthens CVE’s commitment to equity, teacher training, and global best practices in inclusive education.

"In 2023, CVE was represented at the Institute for Educational Administration and Leadership Bi-Annual Conference on Educational Leadership and Management in Montego Bay. In 2024, CVE led a Caribbean delegation including representatives from Jamaica, Barbados, Curacao, British Virgin Islands and TT to the Unesco Inclusive Schools Forum in Paris," where Dr James said she delivered a keynote address titled What is Effective in Teacher Education. Members of the Caribbean delegation contributed to all the think tanks, ensuring that the Caribbean voice was represented in the global inclusion narrative. At the forum, head of Bishop Anstey High School East and Trinity College East sixth form Shinelly James received the IFIP Global Award in recognition of inclusive practices at her school.

In October 2024 the CVE in collaboration with the IFIP global and Latin American and the Caribbean, organised a parallel G20 Global Inclusion Summit in Brazil hosted by the Parliament of Sao Paulo. Dr James chaired the two-day event, at which representatives from the UK, Africa, South, Central and Latin America and the Caribbean were present. CVE delegates contributed meaningfully to these international forums by leading high-level think tanks focused on teacher preparation.

To learn more about CVE and to become a member email cariveducators@gmail.com, visit: www.cariveducators.com or follow Caribbean Visionary Educators on Facebook or https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Caribbean+visionary+educators