WIB Marks World Environment Day by empowering the next generation

GREAT BAY--In recognition of World Environment Day, the Windward Islands Bank is marking the occasion with a meaningful educational initiative designed to encourage environmental responsibility among the island’s youngest residents.

As part of its ongoing commitment to the community, which is embedded in the way the bank operates, WIB is partnering with 17 public and private primary schools across St. Maarten through its “Keep it Clean, Keep it Green” initiative.

The initiative will reach students in Groups 3, 4 and 5, approximately ages six to eight, creating a direct connection not only with the children, but also with the households they return to each afternoon.

At the center of the initiative is the distribution of reusable car litter bags to students. Branded with the “Keep it Clean, Keep it Green” message, each bag serves as a practical reminder that protecting St. Maarten begins with small, consistent actions.

By placing these bags in family vehicles, WIB is encouraging children to carry the message home, prompt conversations with their parents, and lead by example in their own communities.

Keeping St. Maarten clean is a shared responsibility that continues to require ongoing attention. WIB’s position is that meaningful change requires more than awareness. It requires a shift in everyday behavior, and one of the most effective places to begin that shift is with children who are still forming their habits.

“If we want to see real change on our island, we all have a role to play, and that starts with the next generation,” said Mrs. Daisy Tyrol-Carolus, Country Head of WIB. “Through this initiative, we are empowering children with a simple but powerful message: Keep it Clean, Keep it Green. By placing these bags in family vehicles, we hope children will encourage conversations at home, remind their parents to dispose of waste properly, and ultimately lead by example.”

By engaging students at a young age, the initiative encourages habits that help keep St. Maarten clean and cared for. The school partnership reflects WIB’s commitment to the community, not only through financial services, but also by supporting the people and communities where we live.

Through this initiative, WIB reinforces a simple message: the future of our communities and our environment depends on the habits we build today and the example we set for those who come after us.

WIB said that message is especially fitting on World Environment Day, a global observance that reminds communities everywhere of their responsibility to protect and care for the environment.

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