(PRESS RELEASE) – On December 8th, approximately 700 children were feted by the Salvation Army at the Dereck Walcott Square when the Army hosted its toy and gift-giving party which typically culminates the annual Christmas Toy Drive.

There were a number of performances by popular artistes, along with other attractions, such as a bouncing castle, train rides and a magician.

The Salvation Army solicits corporate support and individual donations, to be able to bring Christmas cheer early to children, ages 12 and under. The toy drive primarily accommodates families registered with the Salvation. In recent years, the Christmas Toy Drive has also embraced the Ciceron Children’s Home as well as children in the database of the Department of Social Services.

This year the number of children attending the party has exceeded the toy donation target of 400 set by the Salvation Army. This has necessitated an extension of the drive to ensure that each child gets a toy before Christmas Day.

Last week, pre-schoolers and staff of the Salvation Army dropped in on CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank’s Corporate Office to collect toys and gifts which were donated by the bank’s staff. The bank has been supporting the Salvation Army’s Christmas outreach for a number of years in the form of internal toy drives, food drives for hampers to the less privileged and shut-ins, and as Corporate Champion of the Red Kettle Drive.

Persons wishing to support or volunteer with the Salvation Army may contact Captain Derrick Mitchel, Commanding Officer of the Salvation Army at 452-3108, sacastries@yahoo.com or visit their office at 12-14 High Street Castries.

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PM Chastanet joins Santa in handing out presents to children

(PRESS RELEASE) — The Annual Prime Minister’s Christmas celebration for children with special needs was held at a different venue this year, much to the delight of students and teachers as they got to experience Government House in a different light.

On Monday December 10, 2018, His Excellency Sir Emmanuel Neville Cenac, Governor General of Saint Lucia, warmly opened up the Official Residence of the Governor General, Morne Fortune, where the event was held for the first time.

And what a party it was. With more pristine grounds to utilize, as well as the interior of the house, organizers went all out in ensuring that the children had the best time ever. With fun and games, bouncy castles, Disney characters Mickey and Minnie, Santa, a photo booth by Wavemaker Photography, a movie-room and a grand Christmas tree for photo ops, the children and teachers who came from different parts of the island were treated as Christmas VIPs on the day. And yes, there were lots of eats and drinks too.

While some of the children lounged under tents in the shaded spots, some took to making the area their dance floor, showing off their moves to the music from the DJ.

The children and teachers also got to hang out the Governor General and Lady Cenac and with Prime Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet, his wife Mrs. Raquel Chastanet and son, Braden.

The Minister for Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labour Hon. Stephenson King, who initiated the event as prime minister several years ago, also stopped by help give out gifts.

According to Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet who was beaming with joy: “Every year this is one of the events that I look forward to the most. It brings me such happiness, just to see how this simple gesture brings a smile to the faces of those children among us who we may consider different. Yet their genuine nature, their warmth, their presence, words are not enough to describe how easily they bring a smile to our faces in return which should be the true spirit of Christmas. And so I believe that they deserve a special place in our hearts not just at this time but throughout the year.”

The Prime Minister went on to thank all the teachers of special needs children in Saint Lucia, whom he said are true heroes, often going beyond their call of duty to ensure that the children are not only cared for but are safe.

He also thanked the Governor General of Saint Lucia, for graciously opening up his residence and taking time out to interact with the children, teachers and volunteers as well.

“My staff, the volunteers and all of those who contributed to this wonderful event here today deserve special mention and I would like to thank them all,” said the Prime Minister.

Before the event was over, all of the children were presented with their Christmas gifts. The hard working teachers were also recognized for their dedication and commitment to special needs. Through the support of Peter & Company Distribution’s brand Manager Germaine Serieux, all of the teachers received tokens of appreciation on the day.

The Office of the Prime Minister thanks the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Ferrands Dairy, Peter and Company, OJO Labs, Wavemaker Photography, Brice and Company Ltd , Mr. Christopher Mitchell and The Embassy of Morocco for helping to make the event a success.

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(PRESS RELEASE) — The Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations invites parents and guardians of students attending the Bexon Primary School to a very important and URGENT meeting on Friday, January 11, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. at the school.

Parents and guardians are urged to make a special effort to attend, and be on time, as there are issues related to the instruction of your child/ward, down for discussion.

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(PRESS RELEASE) — The Department of Education, Innovation and Gender Relations wishes to inform parents and guardians of students attending the Ciceron Primary School that after careful consideration, officials of the Ministry have decided to keep the school closed for the remainder of the week, due to the remanence of fumes emanating from chemicals used during repair works at the school.

This precautionary measure will further ensure that all health and safety measures are followed to safeguard the health of students, teachers and other members of the public visiting the school. As such the school will re-open on Monday, January 14, 2019.

The Department apologize to parents and guardians for any inconvenience caused.

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Growing up, my life was not an easy one. I thought of giving up on life many times. Sometimes at home my brothers and I had just bread and sweet water for the whole day.

I grew up without my father around and that was not easy for me. My mother and aunty were the ones taking care of us, providing food and things for school.

Many times I had nothing to eat at school and my principal and teachers had to feed me. My life was terrible and I thought I wouldn’t reach anywhere. Because of the lack of opportunities I started to have anger boiling up inside of me and thinking: “Why God allow me to born, to suffer?”

My mind was playing stories that didn’t exist, the hunger was driving me to be around bad friends, and there I learnt to smoke (not all the time) and drink, just to show I was a “man”. I felt like the bad boys were better than my mom so whenever she spoke to me, I would just answer her in a disrespectful way.

I ran away three times from home. The realistic situation I faced? No food, no father, and me trying to do my own things, in the way I want, and the list goes on. When my mother was asleep I used to sneak out of the house and walk everywhere around the town.

I was disobedient; I was reaching home late and refusing to do my house chores. That was my life. At home me and my brothers lived like dogs and cats — every day were arguments and fights between us over petty things. Once or twice we reached the point of drawing knives on each other. Our house was terrible and our lives were a disaster.

My mother told me about the YPG Saint Lucia and I came with her. At first I didn’t want to stay but after a while I started to like it. I started to play football with the boys and this made me open up myself and seek help. I had to leave my pride aside and I did.

Today I am totally changed. I don’t be around bad companies. I love and respect my mother and I get along well with my brothers. I learnt to be a real man. The youth Power Group showed me the right path. I got baptized in the water and with the Holy Spirit. Today I help other youth to be better in life. I am not ashamed to say “I love God” and “I love to be in the YPG Saint Lucia”.

— Stanley Stephen

The life story displayed here is real and if you want to meet Stanley Stephen he is available every Friday to talk to you. It is free and private. Contact us at:

YPG Office

Address: #25 Brazil Street opposite Derek Walcott Square

Phone Numbers: 730-4040/724-8041

Find us on Facebook: YPG Saint Lucia

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: YPG ST. LUCIA

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(PRESS RELEASE) — Renowned Saint Lucia Photographer Kirk Elliott recently earned certification in NGO professional management from the University of the West Indies Open Campus.

For the past four years Elliott has been mentoring the Fond Gens Libre Development Committee as it seeks to both develop and enhance the community’s tourism product. Fond Gens Libre is a community at the base of Gros Piton comprising of 109 residents, living in 42 households. Residents are reputed to be descendants of Saint Lucia’s freedom fighters who rejected slavery hundreds of years ago and in the process established this strategic stronghold.

Today many of these residents earn a living as tour guides, accompanying hikers up the Gros Piton — the larger and taller of Saint Lucia’s iconic Pitons which form part of the Piton Management Area (PMA). The PMA was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 and added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 2004.

Elliott has helped the community establish an executive arm which was registered with the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Empowerment, Youth Development, Sports and Local Government as a community-based organization in 2017. This paved the way for the community to receive a Planning Grant from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Global Environmental Fund’s (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) to assist with its sustainable community-based tourism initiative.

“Because NGO Management is outside my area of expertise I jumped at the opportunity to pursue this course of study when Mr. Giles Romulus, Saint Lucia National Coordinator for UNDP circulated a request for applications to SGP grantees,” explained Elliott when asked how as a photographer he came to pursue this course.

The course introduced Elliott to the history of Caribbean NGOs as well as the unique challenges they face. The course, which was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC), was open to persons across the Caribbean working with NGOs.

The course entailed significant collaborative work similar to what obtains in Caribbean NGOs and introduced Elliott to Caribbean NGO best practices as well a cohort of NGO management professionals across the region.

Commenting on Elliott’s decision to hone his community-mentoring skills, Romulus opined: “To be successful today, you must be a perpetual learner, even after attaining your goals. If a person stops learning, they will stagnate and diminish in many ways.”

When asked his thoughts on Elliott’s commitment to Fond Gens Libre, as evidenced by his undertaking this course, Fond Gens Libre Development Committee President, Francis Alexander, expressed high praise for Elliott, stating: “Kirk congratulations on your latest achievement. You are everything we could wish for in a mentor and you truly inspire us to be the very best we can be.”

Having recently received the Baseline Studies Report coming out of the Planning Grant, the Fond Gens Libre Development Committee is currently working on capacity building and product development. Elliott looks forward to continuing his work with the community with a view to helping it develop its tourism product into an international benchmark of sustainable community-based tourism within a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Castries city

(PRESS RELEASE) — Staff and students of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College added their voices to the discussion on a new vision for Castries dubbed Castries 2030.

The Government of St. Lucia has tasked the National Integrated Planning and Programme Unit (NIPP) in the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), to articulate the Castries Vision 2030 redevelopment plan.

Stakeholder consultations have been integral to the development of this plan, with the aim of gathering suggestions from a wide cross section of the St. Lucian society. The aim is to make Castries more resilient to climate change by aligning the city to some of the international conventions government has signed onto dealing with sustainable cities and communities, compact mixed-use developments whilst making the city more socially inclusive.

The planning team held one such consultation with staff and students of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC).

Director for NIPP, Haward Wells, said the interaction with the students was vital to close certain gaps.

“And we thought it was an exciting opportunity when the college invited us over to get the students involved. Let them air their views, let them express what they see the future of Castries is as it relates to the ongoing process.”

He added that in the spirited interaction the students highlighted issues with traffic congestion, the minibus situation, the Castries market, flooding in part of the city, and other environmental concerns.

Lecturer at the Division of Technical Education and Management Studies (DTEMS), Karyeen Cenac Hippolyte, was pleased with the level of participation and contributions from the students.

“DTEMS is very technical and a project like this is very, very relevant to students here to get the practical experience, to understand how what they learn here can translate to this that we have discussed here. So for the students it’s getting their hands-on experience, meeting with persons who are actually doing this kind of work, and seeing how it could affect them and even the course they do here.”

For their part the students were very expressive about what they would like see in a redeveloped Castries.

Kamisha Harris studies Architectural Technology at DTEMS said: “Honestly the way Castries is right now, it’s not conducive to pedestrians. There’s a lot of traffic, it’s very polluted and there are no green spaces. I would honestly like to see more green spaces in Castries, places you can just sit. Because as it is right now, yes we have new stores, new buildings coming up and it’s being modernized in a way but the way that they are doing it it’s not thinking about the people aspect. For you to get somewhere to sit, you have to go to a store and you need to buy something, sometimes you just want to relax and the only green space that we have right now is at Serenity Park which is very outside of the city limits.”

Construction engineering student, Canem Joseph, stated that the appearance, facilities and infrastructure in Castries does not reflect that of a capital.

“Well the shops and businesses seem akin to that of a small town than a city. In areas like Gros Islet there are bigger shops, bigger malls and things like that. At this point it looks like Gros Islet is more of a capital than Castries.”

The NIPP director stated that as the planning phase moves ahead consultations are scheduled to take place with residents and land owners from Castries to facilitate their direct feedback on the Castries Vision 2030 project.

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(NOTICE) — The Ministry of Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development would like to inform first-time bursary recipients (first-year applicants) of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) that cheque disbursements will be done on Monday, January 21, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Student Services Building.

Please note, this disbursement is NOT for continuing bursary recipients of the college.

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(CMC) – The development and implementation of a drug policy for schools will be among matters discussed as health and family life education (HFLE) coordinators and other stakeholders from across the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) meet in St. Lucia later this month.

The Guyana-based CARIFORUM Secretariat said that the January 21-23 meeting is expected to develop the draft Model School Drug policy that will be subsequently reviewed and validated by member states before submission to the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) for endorsement.

It is expected that the policy will guide the countries in the formulation of their national policies, where necessary.

The meeting is organised into a number of plenaries. The first plenary will include presentations of the Report on Students’ Drug Use in 13 Caribbean Countries (2016) and the Implications of Marijuana Use on Adolescent Development.

The second plenary on Management of School Drug Use in the Caribbean will, among other issues, look at the challenges and windows of opportunities associated with the management of drug use in schools from the perspectives of different countries. A review of Grenada’s National School Drug Policy (2018-2023), will also be done.

The third and fourth plenaries on Crafting the Model School Drug Policy and Creating an Enabling Environment to support School Drug Policy, will respectively examine the components for excellence in learning in the Caribbean new school model.

Legislation and the School Drug Policy and the way forward will also be central features of these plenaries.

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Participants were granted the opportunity to establish guidelines aimed at addressing substance use and related issues in schools.

(PRESS RELEASE) — Efforts to develop and implement a drug policy for schools will be undertaken as the Caricom Secretariat hosted a regional conference at Auberge Seraphine Hotel recently.

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(PRESS RELEASE) — Six young St Lucians returned home on Thursday after having swept the top awards in a two-month International Training Programme in Hospitality Management at HungKuang University in Taichung.

The 2018 Vocational Training Project for the Caribbean was organized by the International Development Fund (ICDF) and covered all major elements of hospitality.

The group, which comprised of Nadine Jn. Baptiste, Veronica Felix, Trudy Everiste, Shavonne Emmanuel, Lisa Paul, Nikkev Louis, was drawn mainly from the hotel industry. The group began the programme in November of last year and finished on the 22nd of January, 2019.

The closing ceremony marked the successful completion of the program which was held at the Taichung branch of the Ministry of Labor. In attendance were the ambassadors of the participating countries, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the support agency, the ICDF.

Ms. Veronica Felix was chosen to deliver the valedictory address on behalf of the participants, and of the four prizes for the top participants, three were won by St Lucians.

Mrs. Nadine Jn. Baptiste won the overall top performer prize and Mr. Nikkev Louis and Ms. Trudy Everiste won prizes for outstanding performance.

During their stay, they met with St Lucia’s Minister of Culture and Creative Industries, the Hon Fortuna Belrose, who was on a visit to Taiwan in early December.

They also met with the St Lucia ambassador who had invited them to Taipei for discussions at the Embassy.

The training was funded under the cooperation agreement between St Lucia and Taiwan.

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Antoine

(SNO) — Ulanda Rolanda Antoine, a civil engineer in the Department of Infrastructure, Ministry of Infrastructure, Ports, Energy and Labour, is heading to Japan to participate in a training course on bridge maintenance.

The course is part of training offered to personnel from various government departments and agencies under the JICA’s (Japan International Cooperation Agency’s) Knowledge Co-creation Programmes.

The core training will take place at the JICA Kyushu International Centre in Japan, from February to March this year.

During the course, participants will have the opportunity to learn methods of effective bridge management and maintenance through lectures, field visits, exercises and discussions, while analyzing issues in their home countries through learning theoretical perspectives and experiences of Japan.

Glen Lake, officer responsible for corporate communication and public relations at the JICA Saint Lucia Office, pointed out that “it is of particular importance … that a female candidate from Saint Lucia was selected, considering
that JICA and the Japanese government promotes gender equality”.

“Ms. Antoine, although afforded this excellent opportunity, is now tasked with the responsibility to gain as much understanding in bridge maintenance and management cycle as she can in order to implement best practices here in Saint Lucia…and we all are aware of how important this particular topic is here on island.”

Antoine intends to use the course to improve her knowledge of bridge maintenance.

“The intention is to improve my technical knowledge of bridge maintenance practices, and to improve on my abilities in planning and preparing maintenance programs and the maintenance of civil infrastructure,” she stated.

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(SNO) — The Boy’s Training Center, located at Massade, Gros Islet, has received its “first ever” certification of Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) from the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), a statement reveals.

The first certification was received in welding.

According to the statement, the education unit of BTC has been offering vocational skills training in the following areas for young men at the facility: agriculture, woodwork, auto mechanics, welding.

During the past five years the facility has been registered as a second-chance institution and had embraced the Caribbean Vocational Curricula which resulted in the certification in welding.

The facility held a graduation ceremony on January 23 to commemorate the event.

The Center, which provides general residential and specialized treatment services for youth at risk, includes juveniles who have been in conflict with the law, as well as juveniles in need of care and protection, the statement said.

“The mission is to provide care, intervention and character development services for all residents within a safe and secure environment, which enables them to develop life-skills through educational, vocational and character development programs.

“Residents will be empowered to be productive and functional citizens and will contribute to the development and security of their communities,” the statement added.

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(SNO) — A competition, which gives young people in the region the opportunity to become the Canadian high commissioner, is now open.

Young people between the ages of 16 and 19 from Saint Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Dominica, St. Kitts & Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are eligible to participate in the event.

Interested young people must submit a 60-90 second video answering the following question: “ How can YOU champion women’s rights in the Caribbean?”

The video must submitted by Facebook private message/messenger to either www.facebook.com/CanadainBarbados OR www.facebook.com/CanadaOECS

The winning videos will be shared and displayed on the High Commission of Canada’s Facebook page.

Deadline to apply is midnight Sunday on February 2.

The winner of the competition will attend meetings with senior diplomats and participate in external events organized to create awareness about the importance of gender equality.

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(SNO) — Child protection practitioners in Saint Lucia are welcoming a training programme in Restorative Justice which they say will help improve future outcomes for young people on the island.

The programme is part of the government’s plan to deliver crucial services to youth on the island.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment, Velda Joseph, stated that the reform agenda comes at a time when crime is on the rise in Saint Lucia.

“We at the Ministry cannot over-emphasize the importance of this training as we grapple with ways to address the various type of deviant behaviors and criminal activities engaged in by segments of our population,” she said. “We believe that this training is very timely and we are grateful to the donors for facilitating this workshop, which is intended to build and enhance the capacity of multiple agencies to deliver on the shared mandate within the framework of the new legislative agenda.”

Minister for Equity, Social Justice, Local Government and Empowerment, Lenard Montoute, told the workshop that child protection reform has modernized the legislative climate for children in Saint Lucia.

“When we look at restorative justice practices we examine the part that builds community,” he stated. “The reform project place attention to modernizing the legislative climate for children which ensures compliance to international treaties such as the United Nations(UN) Convention on the rights of a child which Saint Lucia ratified on June 16th, 1993.”

Social Worker Debra Charlemagne stated that the restorative training programme would help the staff of the Human Services Department deal with the rapid change in child and family behaviors.

“Most of our families in society are unable to deal with the change in children behaviors. This programmme will help restore positive family morals in homes and better equip us social workers with the tool needed to do our job,” she stated.

Restorative justice is aimed at getting offenders to take responsibility for their actions and most studies suggest it makes offenders less likely to re-offend.

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Participants of the Urban Environmental Management Training Course with facilitators outside of Nature Tech in Japan.

(PRESS RELEASE) — The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Saint Lucia Office is pleased to announce the recent return of Saint Lucian Forestry Officer, Virginie Sealys, having completed an intense training in urban environmental management in Japan.

In the course, participants from various CARICOM countries were trained to understand the importance of participation and collaboration among all levels, such as national and local governments, regions, research institutes, educational institutes, and private sectors in urban environmental management.

Trainees also considered effective means of urban environmental management and sustainable use of resources, citizen participation in activities which are applicable to their own country.

The JICA Saint Lucia Office welcomes home Mr. Sealys and encourages him to share the knowledge which was imparted to him in Japan to his peers, as we all collectively work towards the development and sustainability of our fair Helen.

JICA Saint Lucia is a government agency that supplies technical expertise, training courses, ODA loans and grants, and volunteer aid to the people of Saint Lucia through bi-lateral agreements between the countries of Saint Lucia and Japan.

The Saint Lucia office also covers Barbados, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, Antigua & Barbuda, Trinidad & Tobago, St Kitts & Nevis, Grenada and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

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(PRESS RELEASE) – Monroe College, the U.S.-based institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs from its campus in Castries on January 24, 2019 held a graduation exercise for the first class of students to complete their programs at the new International Hospitality Training Institute in the southern town of Vieux Fort.

Working with St. Lucia’s National Apprenticeship Programme, the College created the Training Institute to provide a pathway for local residents to train for entry-level hospitality and tourism sector jobs, a mainstay of the country’s economy.

The Honorable Jeannine Giraudy-McIntyre, president of the senate in St. Lucia, cut the ceremonial ribbon at a reception to open the facility last October.

Marc Jerome, president of Monroe College, led the 10:00 am graduation ceremony, which was held on-site at the Training Institute.

The Honorable Guy Joseph, the acting prime minister of St. Lucia, addressed the graduates and guests. Mr. Kendall Khodra, chief planning officer for the Ministry of Education, also spoke. Cabinet Secretary Benjamin Emmanuel and Oracia Denbow-Bullen, Mayor of Vieux Fort, were also among local dignitaries in attendance.

There were 131 students in the Institute’s inaugural class; many have already secured entry-level jobs within their area of study. A light reception was held after the ceremony to congratulate the students on their accomplishments.

“It is an honor to be here today with our esteemed guests as we celebrate the first class of graduates from our new Training Institute,” said President Jerome. “They leave here with the confidence of knowing they have the skills and professional training required to do well as they begin their hospitality careers. Such a career-ready workforce will no doubt be of great interest and benefit to the growing number of hotels, resorts, restaurants, and cruise ships operating in St. Lucia and throughout the Caribbean.”

The Institute offers five certificate programs, with training on professionalism and the essential “soft skills” that hospitality employers demand incorporated into each track. The available programs are: bartending, event planning and logistics, front office/guest services, food and beverage service, and housekeeping.

The second cohort of students admitted into the program began classes this week. Applications are now being accepted for the next class term, which begins May 21, 2019. The Training Institute is open to residents throughout the Caribbean region, with priority admission granted to St. Lucia residents.

Monroe College’s International Hospitality Training Institute is located at the Industrial Estate complex on Vieux Fort Laborie Highway in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia.

Monroe College celebrated its tenth anniversary in St. Lucia last year. The St. Lucia campus, located on Vide Boutielle Highway in Castries, offers students from the Caribbean a broad array of educational opportunities through programs offered through Monroe’s Schools of Allied Health Professions, Business & Accounting, Criminal Justice, Hospitality Management and the Culinary Institute of New York, and Information Technology.

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Lisa Daniel – Longstanding benefactor of the Grow Well Inc. and the Grow Well Junior Golf Champion for 2018

(PRESS RELEASE) — The Sandals Foundation has long expressed a belief in the transformative effect of golf in the development of young people. Research has shown that early participation in golf builds self-esteem, discipline, concentration and etiquette which are not only crucial to excelling in the sport, but also to the personal development of children.

It is against this background that the Sandals Foundation has provided a much-needed financial boost to the Grow Well Inc. to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of their after school junior golf program.

Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation, Heidi Clarke, said the Foundation is happy to support the program which has a proven track record of fostering positive and constructive growth in the young participants.

“We have had front row seats to see how playing golf every week has helped young people with their development in similar programs such as the Sandals Foundation Care for Kids Golf Program in Jamaica, and we recognize that the Grow Well Junior Program has a similar vision. We are proud to partner with Grow Well Inc. to expand and continue the amazing work being done to positively change the outcomes of young people here in St. Lucia,” Clarke said.

The Grow Well Junior Golf Program is one of several after-school youth activities run by Grow Well Inc. The program is now in its eighth year and has introduced the game of golf to more than 120 youths, providing professional lessons to not only help the juniors improve their golf skills, but help to create future productive citizens who contribute to their communities.

The over US$27,000 (EC$72,000) grant will go towards providing professional coaching three days each week as well as providing uniforms, meals, equipment, transportation, coaching camps and holistic student monitoring for 20 at risk youths between 9 and 18 years old. The program is being hosted at the Sandals Golf and Country Club.

“We are absolutely delighted at this major collaboration with the Sandals Foundation,” said Grow Well Board Member, Co-founder and Director of the Grow Well Junior Golf program, Colleen Newman. “What pleased us most was that the Foundation, in interviewing us, was very interested in the total approach our program takes which includes, not only professional golf coaching, but seeking to meet the educational and social needs of our Gros Islet youth. They were impressed that we were using the vehicle of golf to help raise the self-esteem of youth for whom the street holds too many inviting distractions.”

The Grow Well Junior Golf Program has seen immense success over the years, most recent of which was Grow Well Inc.’s participant Quain Jones being named the national Junior Golfer of the Year by the Department of Youth and Sports. Accomplishments such as this, Clarke said, further cements the opportunities that youth programs like the Grow Well Junior Golf Program can provide.

“Programs such as these are critical in under-served communities as they provide opportunities to young people that many of them would not have access to. Whether it is through securing scholarships to further their education or competing in regional and international tournaments, sports have a way of opening doors and we are happy to be a part of this life changing initiative,” Clarke said.

“I thank Sandals Foundation because it means better golf equipment and more coaching, overseas tournaments and my dream of becoming a top golfer could come true,” said 2018 Grow Well Junior Golf Champion, Keymanie Thomas. “Sandals team at the golf club have been good to all of us junior golfers. The let us play on their course and treat us like family. I am very glad they are helping Grow Well.”

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SLASPA

(PRESS RELEASE) – The Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA), as part of its corporate social responsibility, collaborated with Carnival Fascination on Thursday, January 24, 2019,to assist with maintenance and
beautification works at the Holy Family Children’s’ home in Ciceron.

Last year, the Carnival Corporation announced a series of community projects geared towards supporting children, education and emergency preparedness in the Caribbean. Since then, the corporation has been working with local and international non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) in various countries on community projects tailored to their own corporate social responsibility.

Senior Manager, Business Development and Corporate Communications at SLASPA, Gasper George, stated: “SLASPA’s Corporate Social Responsibility Program is aligned with the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, therefore our collaboration with the Carnival Corporation speaks to the Authority’s commitment in building sustainable cities and communities, to achieve quality education, good health and well-being. It is envisaged that through initiatives like these SLASPA can work towards further improving the conditions of the marginalized.”

Hotel Director of Carnival Cruise Line, Dany Petrenko, commended the efforts of the Home’s management team.

According to him “praises and congratulations must be given to Sister Anthonia and her team for their wonderful work and dedication in ensuring that each child is shown unconditional love and care.”

In attendance on Thursday were representatives of SLASPA; as well as a crew from the Carnival Cruise Line.

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James Rodriguez

(PRESS RELEASE) — SLUDTERA would like to inform interested persons that a U.S. Embassy Bridgetown official will address local entrepreneurs at Startup Huddle St. Lucia on Wednesday, February 13, 2019.

Mr. James Rodriguez is the public affairs officer (PAO) at the US Embassy in Bridgetown.

The highlight topic of his presentation will be the highly-anticipated Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Program. He will be addressing the audience via Skype conferencing, and immediately following his presentation, will take questions from the listening and viewing audience.

Mr. Rodriguez will go over the YLAI application process, the components of the program, the eligibility criteria, the benefits of participating, the post-YLAI opportunities, and other programs available via the U.S. Embassy Bridgetown.

All local entrepreneurs in St. Lucia who;

– have an interest in participating in YLAI at some point in the future, or
– would like to meet with the 2018 overall competition winner, or
– would like to meet with the St. Lucian YLAI Cohort, or
– would like to network with the local entrepreneurial community
– are encouraged to attend this event.

Startup Huddle is a free program created by the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN). The program is designed to educate, engage and connect entrepreneurs which allows them to share with the community, their ideas, startups, successes and struggles, and to also get feedback from this community.

2017 YLAI Alumna Michelle N. Samuel was granted a license by GEN to host and manage a Startup Huddle chapter in St. Lucia called Startup Huddle St. Lucia – the official article was published in September last year.

It would be the first time that a chapter would be named after an entire island/country and not a city, which is the norm – an amazing and exciting occurrence for St. Lucia and GEN! Other such chapters will soon be launched in Trinidad & Tobago, Dominica, Nicaragua and Guyana – all managed by YLAI Alumni or Network members!

In support of the program, the U.S. Embassy Bridgetown became the very first official sponsor of Startup Huddle St. Lucia, as a post-YLAI initiative introduced by YLAI Alumna Michelle. The program would be hosted by her social enterprise SLUDTERA, and managed by enthusiastic volunteers across the region who are all members of the YLAI Network!

This is an example of the kind of support that YLAI Alumni receive from the U.S. Embassy Bridgetown for projects, programs, initiatives and ideas which intend to benefit the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

SLUDTERA and Team Startup Huddle St. Lucia (SHSL) are very grateful to the U.S. Embassy Bridgetown for its support of the program and are looking forward to Mr. Rodriguez’s presentation.

James Rodriguez has been the public affairs officer (PAO) at the US Embassy in Bridgetown since 2016. Originally from the Washington DC area, he has been with the State Department for more than 15 years and has worked in the Public Affairs Sections of US Embassies Minsk, Belarus and Caracas, Venezuela.

In addition, he served as the PAO at the US Consulate in Naples, Italy. From 2013- 2016, James worked in Washington DC at the Public Diplomacy Office of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs where he ran the initial Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI). He also served as division chief for the Western Hemisphere and Africa in the regional office of International Information Programs (IIP). His first tour with the State Department was as a vice consul in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Prior to joining the State Department, James was a Peace Corps volunteer in Drohobych, Ukraine, and also worked at Crunchy Technologies, a high-tech company based in Arlington, Virginia.

James earned a master of science degree in Latin American defense and security from the Inter-American Defense College in Washington DC, a master of arts degree in politics and strategy from National Academy of Strategic and Political Studies in Santiago, Chile, and bachelor of arts degrees in international affairs and Spanish from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

James is joined in Barbados by his wife, three daughters, and the family dog.

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