Anguilla’s Director of Library Services and educator, Mr Bernard Wattley, is the inventor of a family and education game called INTO THE EYE. The game, designed to teach persons about hurricane preparedness, was launched at the Public Library on Tuesday, July 9, at a ceremony attended by educators and other persons including Mr Wattley’s family and the media.
“It is a game of chance which sees players trying to get into the eye of a hurricane which has been superimposed on a map of the Caribbean,” a press release stated. “Along the way players can learn many facts about hurricanes as well as hurricane preparedness tips.”
The released continued: “This family-oriented game, which began as an assignment several years ago, is a great teaching-learning device targeting all people eight years and up. According to Wattley, ‘I would like to see this game in every home and in all classrooms to further everybody’s interest in being prepared not for the If but for the when the next hurricane will strike.’
“The aim is to promote the game locally and throughout the Caribbean region in countries susceptible to hurricanes. Efforts are being made to distribute [the game] in the US in areas prone to hurricanes as well. INTO THE EYE provides a fun way of learning more about how to prepare for a hurricane event.”
Mr Wattley explained that his invention emerged from a class assignment when he studied at the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies during 1989 and 1991. Twenty-three years later that time has come and I am very pleased I could finally realize that aspiration. “The game board resembles a mega hurricane impacting the entire Caribbean region,” he stated. “The game is played with a die (dice) and progress is determined by a Chance Card. The aim is for players to make it into the ‘eye’ of the storm. Along the way the squares contain two different kinds of information (1) hurricane-related facts which are the players’ information and (2) questions about preparedness. It is these questions that require the player to take a Chance Card which then tells the player how to proceed.”
The game, sold at the introductory price of US$20 on Tuesday, was produced by a company in China.
Chief Education Officer, Mrs Rhonda Connor, commended Mr Wattley for his creative thinking. “INTO THE EYE will be a very useful resource in our schools in Anguilla because it will allow us to bring awareness, and teach our children, about hurricanes in a very fun-filled way,” she said. “We all know that children love games and I am really looking forward to us having access to INTO THE EYE in our schools.”
