FaN collaborated with several partners in revising secondary and primary school level curricula to reach a wide and young target audience to promote the importance of diet and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The goal was to enhance content on the NCDs and their drivers – unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

Secondary level Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) subjects, CSEC “Human and Social Biology” and CCSLC “Integrated Science”, were revised. The Human and Social Biology syllabus has been approved and implemented in 2020 (first exam in 2022); the revised sylluabus for Integrated Science is still awaiting approval along with the entire suite of CCSLC subjects (as of July 2022).

These syllabi can be accessed below:

• CSEC Human and Social Biology Syllabus
• CCSLC Integrated Science Syllabus (pending CXC approval) (coming soon)

The CARICOM Secretariat Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) curriculum for the primary level was revised and the project also created a new curriculum for the early childhood development level. These were approved by Ministers of Education at the 38th Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) – Education in 2019. The curriculum for both levels can be accessed below:

• CARICOM Health and Family Life Education Regional Curriculum Framework

Recognizing that HFLE is not an examinable subject, and that teachers may have challenges with teaching some aspects of the curriculum, the FaN team in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat and other partners have developed educational resources to support the implementation of the revised curriculum. These ‘edu-tainment’ digital content resources are designed for children aged 6-12 and focus several learning objectives across four HFLE themes: Self and Interpersonal Relationships, Appropriate Eating and Fitness; Managing the Environment; and Sexuality.

There are two types offered:

1. Six-episode audio series collated by The Ashe Company, based on a preceding Food4Change Caribbean Story Writing Competition in 2021 for children, to showcase winning story youth perspectives. Content is focused on all four HFLE themes mentioned above.

The six episode scripts, the six episode audios and a Facilitators Manual can be accessed below: (coming soon)

• Facilitator’s Manual
• Episode 1: Jamie’s Size
  • Script
  • Recording
• Episode 2: Healthy Food Stars and Stripes
  • Script
  • Recording
• Episode 3: Being Better
  • Script
  • Recording
• Episode 4: Sidney’s Struggle
  • Script
  • Recording
• Episode 5: Sweet Trouble
  • Script
  • Recording
• Episode 6: Better Together
  • Script
  • Recording

2. Three education videos and worksheets collated by Slow Food Barbados, each filmed at a farm in Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Content is based on two HFLE themes, Managing the Environment and Appropriate Eating and Fitness, and cover agriculture/farming, nutrition, and cooking. Each video is accompanied by two student worksheets (6-9 year olds; 10-12 year olds) and one facilitator worksheet. These can be accessed below:

• Farmer Julian (Jamaica) – Bees, Interdependence of Elements in the Environment, and Processed Foods
  • Video
  • Student worksheet (6-9 year olds)
  • Student worksheet (10-12 year olds)
  • Facilitator worksheet (6-9 year olds)
  • Facilitator worksheet (10-12 year olds)
• 2. Farmer Mackie (St. Kitts & Nevis) – Waste, Closed Loop Systems and Factors Affecting Health and the Environment
  • Video
  • Student worksheet (6-9 year olds)
  • Student worksheet (10-12 year olds)
  • Facilitator worksheet (6-9 year olds)
  • Facilitator worksheet (10-12 year olds)
• 3. Farmer Luke (St. Vincent & the Grenadines) – Food groups, processed foods and food preparation
  • Video
  • Student worksheet (6-9 year olds)
  • Student worksheet (10-12 year olds)
  • Facilitator worksheet (6-9 year olds)
  • Facilitator worksheet (10-12 year olds)