On August 11, 2026, a milestone for early childhood education in Dominica’s Soufriere community was formally marked as the newly completed Dominique Marchand Pre-School was officially transferred to the country’s Ministry of Education. The occasion has been met with widespread celebration among local children and families, who have waited years for a permanent, fit-for-purpose learning facility after decades-old damage from Hurricane Maria upended the community’s educational infrastructure.
For years following the 2017 hurricane, young early learners in Soufriere were forced to attend classes in makeshift temporary spaces that offered little in the way of comfort, safety, or an environment tailored to early childhood development. The new facility changes that entirely: designed specifically to support children through their critical formative educational years, the pre-school provides a secure, comfortable setting that fosters focused learning, playful recreation, and holistic social and physical development.
The successful completion of the project would not have been possible without cross-sector collaboration and philanthropic support, Ministry of Education officials confirmed. The government body has publicly recognized the leading contributions of Jungle Bay Dominica, its owner Sam Raphael, the resort’s staff, its guests, and a host of independent volunteers who backed the initiative from its early planning stages. Significant financial backing from the Redekop Family Endowment was also highlighted as a critical catalyst that pushed the project across the finish line after years of development.
For local leaders and community members, the new pre-school is far more than just a new building. It stands as a tangible example of what can be achieved when public institutions, private enterprises, and charitable partners work in lockstep to address unmet needs at the local level. Most importantly, it gives Soufriere’s youngest residents a dedicated space to build the foundational academic and social skills they need to thrive in future schooling, while restoring a collective sense of forward progress for the community years after it weathered the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria.