Tobago begins "Sounds Like Tobago" initiative in UK schools

Officials from the tourism and education arenas have joined forces to launch the "Sounds Like Tobago" initiative in UK primary schools, with a grand prize of winning an educational trip to the island.

This month, seven primary schools in the UK hosted delegates from the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), who are funding the "Sounds Like Tobago" programme with a view to sharing the history, music, culture and geography of Tobago through fun and interactive lessons.

The inaugural tour will included visits to schools in Surrey, Kent, Northampton and Bromley. Signal Hill primary school in Tobago has also been selected to take part in the initiative to encourage peer-to-peer cross-cultural learning between the children. All participants will be encouraged to update the "Sounds Like Tobago" website with footage, blogs and other experiences.

The Tobago delegation also launched a new competition, encouraging the classes they toured to design a steel pan. The winners will win a trip to Tobago to have a chance to see their steel pan design come to life.

It was the Bickley Primary School in Bromley's school project in 2008 that helped form the idea for the "Sounds Like Tobago" project. According to Oswald Williams, Secretary of Tourism & Transportation: "there is a common misconception in overseas markets that Caribbean islands have the same culture, infrastructure and make-up across the board. However, like the other islands, Tobago has an independent identity with its own traditions, festivals and musical heritage.

"For example, not many people know that the steel pan originally hails from Trinidad & Tobago or that due to proximity to Venezuela, Tobago shares much of the tropical greenery, climate and eco-systems of that part of the South Caribbean and has the oldest [protected] rainforest in the Western Hemisphere.

"We wanted to find a way of communicating this message and educating children about Tobago, while supporting teachers with an interactive and exciting addition to their curriculum. This initiative provides children with an engaging opportunity to learn about another culture and way of life. The children in Trinidad & Tobago are also very excited about taking part in the programme – and of course, meeting the winning class next year."