More than 4,000 pounds of garbage have been removed from the Five Islands community following a large-scale clean-up drive led by the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus. According to Antigua.news, the initiative underscores a growing emphasis on civic responsibility among the campus's student body.
Organised through the campus's First Year Experience (FYE) Programme, the effort brought together first-year students, faculty, staff, and community volunteers in a coordinated push to improve the local environment. Teams worked across several locations, including the stretch from Pensioners Roundabout to Green Apple Café, the Royalton Antigua back gate corridor, and sections of Hawksbill Beach — collectively clearing approximately two tonnes of waste.
Coordinator of the First Year Experience Programme, Rhajhel Brown, said the clean-up is part of a broader student development philosophy that reaches well beyond the classroom. "The programme is designed to help students adjust to university life while also engaging with real-world issues," Brown explained, adding that civic involvement is a core component of the FYE curriculum.
The initiative drew support from a range of partners, including Royalton Antigua, Akhimo Group, the Rotaract Club of Antigua, Adoptacoastline, Green Apple Café, and Governor General's Deputy Sir Clare Roberts.
Campus Registrar Dr. Camille Samuel praised the turnout and its broader significance. "We want our students and staff to continue contributing to the development of the community we are part of," she said, indicating that similar initiatives will remain a institutional priority.
University officials noted that programmes such as the First Year Experience are central to producing what UWI describes as the "Ideal Graduate" — individuals who are not only academically equipped but also socially conscious and actively engaged in national development.
