Ten Schools in Two Days As CHOGM 2026 School Tour Starts With A Bang!

Published on: September 25th 2026 News by : HIGH COMMISSION FOR ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

ST JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda, 22 September 2026The CHOGM 2026 National School Tour has started with visits to several schools over the past two days, introducing students to the Commonwealth and the upcoming Commonwealth Youth Forum while encouraging schools and families to take practical action on recycling.

Scheduled to run until 30 October, the initiative brings together the CHOGM Media and Public Affairs Committee, Youth Forum representatives and Good Humans 268, with support from Youth Correspondents.

“We want students to understand what CHOGM means for Antigua and Barbuda and how they can be involved. Going into schools allows us to have that conversation directly and help it reach families and the wider community,” said Everton Barnes, Co-Chair of the CHOGM Media and Public Affairs Committee.

School sessions will include an introduction to CHOGM and the Commonwealth, information about the Youth Forum, a call to action from Good Humans 268, and time for questions and giveaways.

Monday’s opening sessions included Antigua Girls High School, Five Islands Primary, Green Bay Primary, Temple Academy and Golden Grove. The visits continued on Tuesday, 22 September with stops at Jennings Secondary, Jennings Primary, Bendals Primary, Honey Tree Primary and Tabernacle Academy. The tour aims to reach all schools across Antigua and Barbuda, subject to scheduling and logistical arrangements.

During the visit to Antigua Girls High School, attorney-at-law Desrie Markham, Miss Antigua and Barbuda 2024 and a former student of the school, spoke on behalf of the Commonwealth Youth Forum.

Youth participation will be an important part of the outreach, with a Youth Forum survey providing an opportunity for students to contribute their views.

“Young people should have a voice in the conversations taking place around CHOGM. Through the school tour and the Youth Forum survey, we want to hear their concerns and ideas and help them understand how they can participate,” said Donte Walter, Co-Chair of the Commonwealth Youth Forum.

Each participating school will receive a resource package designed to extend learning beyond the visit. This includes Our Commonwealth Classroom: CHOGM 2026 School Activity Guide, with 10 copies for secondary schools and five for primary schools. The guide offers practical ways to incorporate CHOGM and the Commonwealth into different subjects and classroom activities beyond November.

“The aim is to make CHOGM accessible and engaging for students. These resources give teachers practical ways to connect the Commonwealth to their lessons and keep the learning going after the school visit,” said Chaneil Imhoff, CHOGM 2026 Branding Lead.

Schools will also receive 25 recycling flyers for display around their compounds, particularly on or near the blue recycling barrels.

Joshuanette Francis of Good Humans 268 highlighted the involvement of families through the Plastic Pledge and the parent/guardian letter and pledge that each student will take home, “encouraging families to support recycling, make a pledge and be part of improving waste management in Antigua and Barbuda.”

Outlining the distribution of recycling bags, she explained: “One for every student to take home, fill with recyclable items from their household and return to school. The collected items will also support the completion of the Commonwealth bottle-cap flags.”

Francis also highlighted the recycling booklets that will be distributed to every primary school student, “helping to reinforce lessons about recycling, waste management and responsible environmental practices.”

Each school will receive a cover letter and an outreach data sheet to record the numbers of students, teachers, administrative staff, auxiliary staff and other personnel. Francis explained that this information would contribute to “helping the Task Force better understand the potential reach of the school outreach.”

Feedback gathered during the tour will also inform the project’s final output document

Schools and families are encouraged to use the resources and recycling activities to continue their involvement beyond the visits, bringing Commonwealth learning into everyday life.