As Bermuda begins its 400th year as a kind of byword for Paradise regained, The Axis Education Centre has opened its doors to teach young Bermudians about our history and our beautiful environment in the hope the message of preservation will have a lasting impact for generations to come.

The Bermuda National Trust (BNT), with its mission to protect and promote Bermuda's unique natural and cultural heritage, and international insurance company Axis Capital, a Bermuda-based holding company of the international Axis Group of Companies, teamed up to build the centre. The Paget educational facility, located at the Waterville headquarters of the Trust, was officially opened on December 18.

Jennifer Gray, the executive director of the Bermuda National Trust, spoke with Mid-Ocean News this week about the new centre, the role the Trust's education programme is playing in Bermuda's schools and what sort of things we can all do starting in 2009 to make sure Bermuda has a healthy vibrant environment for the next 400 years.

"The Bermuda National Trust has been educating in Bermuda since its inception some 40 years ago with a more formal programme introduced in the year 2000,"said Ms Gray. "The goal of the Education Office at the Trust is to develop educational programmes that make use of the Trust's resources to educate Bermuda about our history, preservation and the environment. Through relevant and engaging programmes, we aim to foster knowledge and stimulate interest, respect and appreciation for Bermuda's natural and human heritage."

Ms. Gray said the programme grew quickly and success was apparent but resourcess were too limited to implement it on a larger scale.

It was then that a partnership was formed between the BNT, Axis Holdings and the Bermuda Government.

"The Trust has taken great pride in the success that the education programme has enjoyed since it began more than six years ago but realised in 2007 that further growth was impossible due to the lack of a class room and the inability to hire additional staff," said Ms Gray.

"Realising that the education programme was imperative in carrying the Trust forward into 21 century Bermuda, an ambitious programme was designed working with the Bermuda Government school curriculum. Axis Holdings and John Charman, CEO and President of Axis Capital, have stepped forward with the resources to partner with the Trust in sharing their vision of an empowered and informed Bermudian youth."

Ms Gray said Mr. Charman was very interested in helping to educate the future leaders of Bermuda and noted: "Our efforts had no greater champion the National Trust Patrons Chair, Liz Greetham. Through her offices we were able to present our proposal to Axis Capital Holdings Limited and their Chairman, Mr. John Charman. Mr. Charman made it clear that Axis was only interested in partnering in an enterprise that would produce permanent, profound benefits to the children of Bermuda. To our eternal thanks he and Axis felt that our Education Programme met that criterion.

"Through a $600,000 multi-year pledge and through unstinting enthusiasm every step of the way, Axis has funded our education programme and a wonderful new classroom which will be its home."

Ms Gray had nothing but praise for Axis and Mr. Charman and said their generosity didn't just stop with the funding of the centre: "It has been absolutely wonderful working with Axis," said Ms Gray. "They have shown that they truly care about the future of our island and its people and they have been incredibly generous in supporting our good work. In addition to funding the programme as set out in our proposal they provided additional gifts for the students in the form of pens, notebooks, calculators, uniforms and towels. John Charman has been enthusiastically engaged in our education development and his assistant Juliana Burgess has been a great pleasure to work with. We also give thanks to the Bermuda Government Department of Education who have worked closely with us to develop our offerings and distribute information to schools and teachers."

Speaking about the collaboration between Axis and BNT Mr. Charman said: "The Axis Education Programme has been modelled to fit directly into the government schools' curriculum and will by the third year see some 2,400 students and 240 teachers benefit from and be enriched by, the experience of learning about their history, culture and environment within the unique setting of the Trust's nature reserves and historic buildings. Our programme will provide Bermuda's children with the best opportunity, through experiential learning, to enhance their appreciation of their natural surroundings and their history under the guidance of highly trained educators."

Ms Gray said the education programmes at the National Trust have been designed to teach knowledge, skills and values.

"We teach knowledge of our local history and environment and the forces and events that have influenced and continue to influence our island home," said Ms Gray. "We also teach scientific and inquiry based skills; interpersonal and communication skills and values of appreciation of our role in society and the interdependence of people, places and our surrounding environment. This is all done in an effort to form the basis for life-long learning, care and preservation of our human and natural heritage.

"We do this by developing relevant and engaging programmes that make use of the Trust's resources, such as properties and information, to educate Bermuda about our history, preservation and the environment."

Ms Gray said BNT use a multi-pronged approach to teach that involves working directly with those responsible for Bermuda's school curriculum as well as getting children involved outside the classroom.

"We are targeting schools by linking to the curriculum directly and encouraging class and year group visits to Trust properties and providing curriculum support resources for teachers," said Ms Gray. "We are also organising and participating in community activities and special events for all ages and offering holiday camps and activities for children outside of school time. It is in these latter two areas that we saw the need for a dedicated facility in order to be able to grow these programmes.

"We offer educational resources and programmes at no cost to schools and community events are free."

Ms Gray gave further details about the education programme and said: "Our education office is directed by Dr. Nicola O'Leary, a fulltime educator. We have recently hired Ms. Tania Stafford as her full-time assistant and the two make up a passionate and highly qualified team guaranteed to inspire any student. They teach in the classroom or on site at our historic buildings or in the field at one of our many nature reserves.

"Our education programmes are specifically designed to teach about our rich culture and history and our fragile and unique environment. Instilling a care and an appreciation in our youth is one of the most effective ways to ensure guardians in the future and it is our hope to reach out to every student in Bermuda in one way or another. We also offer educational community events for teachers and families and we hope that these inspire an appreciation which results in best practices by our community today."

As we enter 2009 and our 400th anniversary as a county, there are a number of things we can all start to do to help preserve Bermuda's fragile ecosystem as we face continued growth in population and construction.

"We should all start by showing a greater appreciation of these beautiful islands we call home and by sharing our knowledge with those who do not fully understand the fragile nature of island environments," said Ms Gray. "Each of us needs to implement more sustainable practices into our daily lives accepting that our resources are not limitless. We need to become empowered as a people and use our voices loudly and wisely to guide our Government and others in decisions that lead to a better Bermuda for all including the generations to come.

"We need to learn that our greatest treasures are not held in a bank account or vault but rather in magnificence of our environment and the many benefits that the environment provides.

"Every home should recycle, conserve water and energy and encourage local wildlife in neighbourhoods. We should teach best practices to our children, limit development and stop littering and polluting. Everyone can help by joining charities that work hard to protect our environment."

Ms Gray had some final words of advice for young Bermudians looking to get involved and learn more about environmental studies and said: "There are many wonderful options for formal training in environment offered overseas. This information is best obtained from college councillors in schools, and the many references in libraries and on line. The best way to get involved and learn more is to become a volunteer for organisations such as the Bermuda National Trust."

For more information visit www.bnt.bm