Four Eastern Caribbean nations are set to embark on a landmark four-year education transformation initiative designed to overhaul lower-secondary education and align regional curricula with evolving student needs and modern economic demands. On August 21, the government of Dominica will formally launch the Windward Islands Sector Transformation for Learning Enhancement (WISTLE) Project, a cross-border collaboration that will roll out upgrades across Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Backed by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) through its System Transformation Grant mechanism, and administered by the World Bank as the official grant agent, the initiative carries a total investment of $9.6 million USD, with each participating island receiving an equal allocation of $2.4 million. Approved by funding bodies in June 2025, the project will run through June 2029, with a core focus on developing, piloting, and rolling out a new inclusive, technology-integrated lower-secondary curriculum across all four nations.
In an official press statement, the Office of the Prime Minister of Dominica outlined the country’s key priorities under the program. Dominica’s work will center on building, implementing, and maintaining a holistic, equitable curriculum that integrates digital learning tools, transferable life skills, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), arts education, and resilience training – designed to serve all learners across both general and special education contexts.
The impact of the project will reach thousands across the region each year: in Dominica alone, an estimated 3,000 students are expected to benefit annually, including 360 learners with documented special educational needs. Beyond curriculum updates, the initiative also invests heavily in educator capacity building, with plans to train roughly 500 current and emerging school leaders and teachers across the country. Of that group, 50 teaching and administrative staff will complete specialized TVET certification, while an additional 100 educators will gain targeted training in special education practices.
The official launch ceremony is scheduled to kick off at 9:00 a.m. local time on August 21 in the Waterfront Room of Dominica’s Fort Young Hotel, with local education officials inviting regional and local media to attend and cover the milestone event.