Elliot Washor's TGIF 02.06.2026

Are you with me now? A. J. Ryder

Our time in Barbados was chock full of wonder and excitement. Wonder at seeing each and every student as the curriculum and the entire community as the school. For its size, Beyond the Box is the mouse that continues to roar. Like so many other countries the school system in Barbados is very traditional. When we visited Combermere School we saw firsthand what this looks like. Robin Douglas the principal graciously gave us lots of his time to discuss the vision for school transformation at his school and beyond. Established in 1695, Combermere School is one of the oldest schools in the Caribbean and the school that Rhianna went to but never graduated from because she left to learn. Somewhat ironically, here’s her debut album being celebrated as it should be in the trophy case of the school.

You’d think schools and systems would get the bigger picture but doing things as they have always been done is the gravitational pull to the center that makes this work so hard.

The good news is that we had lots of meetings on Barbados where we gained lots of ground. Our meeting with Clive Landis the principal (president) of the University of the West Indies - Barbados and his department chairs opened up the doors to accept the IBPLC as a way for students to gain admissions. And, at a meeting with Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw, the Chief Education Officer who is working to implement the national education transformation agenda Gabby, Andrea, Andrew and I were asked to write a brief draft proposal for their newest school to open in 2027. For those who don’t know, Barbados has an absolute dynamo as a prime minister. Among many other acknowledgements of her work, Prime Minister Mia Motley is recognized by the United Nations Foundation as a "Champion for Global Change" citing "her exemplary leadership in fighting for a just, equitable, and sustainable world.”  Given that it is Black History Month, it is especially gratifying to note both the past and present future with Shirley Chisolm a Brooklynite with deep roots in Barbados and Prime Minister Mia Motley.

One example of this is the Prime Minister’s agenda around nutrition that closely aligns to BPLiving. This booklet is a sight for my sore eyes and it is being implemented by schools. Of course, the meals at Beyond the Box are beyond the pale. Ask anyone of us on this trip.

 Barbados is not only well positioned to have influence in Caribbean but beyond. BPL’s role here with Beyond the Box in the forefront is something to note. Needless to say this is all very exciting but there’s way more.

 Our weeklong work at Beyond the Box with their advisors, students and parents specifically around the k-8 but also 9-12 IBPLC work was exceptional. Being immersed in the daily practices of the students and staff at the school served as real time inspirations. We really moved the needle on the scaffoldings and the technology that supports it. I was so glad that David Berg and Tom Gaffey from Beacon were there to work along with everyone.

One thing I always push is how we learn from the work in our schools and then push it out to our network. For me that’s a big part of our ever-evolving work. When we were meeting about the k-8 frames, I mentioned how the imagery was so boxy and text based. The next day, Marytess from Highline Big Picture in Washington shared an image of how this could look that was the kind of imagery I was describing. For me, this is more like it.

Beyond the Box gives students incredible freedom of movement. This is something I don’t take lightly. When you restrict movement, you restrict agency. Remember someone said, “Free your ass and your mind will follow.” For me, one of the most memorable times at Beyond The Box was our field study trip down into a gulley that was not an easy place to get to but well worth it. This exploration revealed so much about the challenges not just Barbados faces but that the entire planet faces around the damage we are doing to our watersheds. Here is where I was reminded of the many excursions I took with Kapua and students through watersheds on Kauai. I’ve been saying these islands are canaries in coal mines about climate change and environmental damages and that these two schools are leading the way for all of us. Here old ways of knowing merge with new ways making new forms of schools.

I can go on and on about our time here and how Gabby, her staff, students and parents were such incredible hosts. It goes without saying, there’s way more to come.

Next week, I’ll be on Kauai to meet with Namahana staff and potential funders. The back-to-back timing of these trips was fortuitous. I’ll be fresh from my experiences here and ready to incorporate them with my time at Namahana.

Be Well!