Form left to right, Bernice Gumbs, Joycelyn Hanley, Ingrid Holaman, Minister Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports (ECYS), Melissa Gumbs and Browlia F. Maillard Campus Principal Tessa Davis who accepted 730 decals to promote cleaner surroundings and greater environmental responsibility.
PHILIPSBURG--The St. Martin Institute for Public Policy Studies (SIPPS) launched an anti-litter campaign at the Methodist Agogic Center’s Browlia F. Maillard Campus on Tuesday, November 10, distributing 730 decals to promote cleaner surroundings and greater environmental responsibility.
The initiative, themed “There Is a Place for Trash,” was launched ahead of St. Maarten Day in the presence of Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa Gumbs, school administrators, teachers, students and invited guests.
SIPPS Secretary Joycelyn Hanley said the campaign was prompted by growing concerns about improper garbage disposal and the visible litter problem across the island. She stressed that education and community participation are important in changing attitudes and encouraging people to take responsibility for their surroundings.
“We see the unsightly mess. We see the need for better trash disposal, and that’s what brought us here today: to take action, to do whatever we can to help stop the litter,” Hanley said.
The 730 decals will be distributed among students and faculty at the Methodist Agogic Center’s campuses. Hanley also acknowledged the support of Dion Gumbs of St. Martin Party Rentals and Michael Ferrier, while expressing hope that other businesses and residents would help extend the campaign by sponsoring additional schools.
Minister Gumbs welcomed the initiative and encouraged students to become ambassadors for a cleaner island. Drawing on her own childhood experiences with anti-littering efforts, she said keeping the island clean was also an expression of national pride.
“St. Maarten Day, as you know, is about showing our pride for the island, and I can
think of no better way to show how proud we are to be from St. Maarten and to live on St. Maarten than keeping St. Maarten clean,” she said.
Gumbs also participated in the symbolic placement of the first decal, which was accepted by Browlia F. Maillard Campus Principal Tessa Davis. The ceremony included an opening prayer by Bernice Gumbs, who called for blessings upon the students, educators, organisers and the island.
Founded in 2019 under the leadership of President Dr. Julio Romney, SIPPS has undertaken educational initiatives aimed at engaging young people in understanding St. Maarten’s history and development. Hanley said the anti-litter campaign forms part of the institute’s efforts to encourage greater awareness and community involvement.
The initiative aims to reinforce a simple message among students and the wider community: keeping St. Maarten clean requires responsibility from everyone.
