CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS – August 24, 2026 – When the curtains closed on the Nevis Disaster Management Department’s (NDMD) 2026 Summer Safety Camp on August 21, the island’s top official for disaster management left 75 young participants with a clear mission: carry the safety knowledge they gained into every corner of their communities.
Hosted under the slogan “Be Safe. Be Smart. Be Ready,” the two-week educational program ran from August 10 to 21 at the Malcolm Guishard Recreation Park, bringing together children ages 5 to 15 for interactive learning that blended hands-on skill-building with recreational and cultural activities. Hon. Spencer Brand, Minister for Disaster Management and the Environment with the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), used the closing ceremony to challenge attendees to become safety ambassadors for the people around them.
“Many of the skills we train for at the NDMD are skills we hope we will never have to use,” Brand told the gathered campers and staff. “But if the time ever comes when you need to act on what you’ve learned here, I want you to have the confidence to step up and make a difference. Don’t keep this knowledge to yourselves – share it in your homes, your classrooms, your churches, your playgrounds, and your neighborhoods. Pass what you’ve learned on to everyone you meet.”
Unlike traditional classroom learning, the 2026 camp designed its curriculum to give young people practical, actionable expertise across a range of critical safety and wellness topics. Over two weeks, campers completed training in road safety, fire prevention and emergency drills, basic first aid and CPR, disaster response protocols, food nutrition, and radio communications. The program also balanced learning with outdoor and creative activities, including guided hiking trips, arts and crafts projects, community exploration tours, and educational visits to local heritage sites to connect young participants to Nevis’s cultural history.
Brand emphasized that the holistic curriculum was crafted to do more than just teach emergency skills: it is intended to support the long-term personal and community development of Nevis’s younger generation. “The NDMD worked to expose you to experiences that help you grow up in a healthy, uplifting environment that benefits you, your families, and our entire island,” he explained. “Everything you’ve learned here helps protect you, your loved ones, and our whole community.”
The annual Summer Safety Camp is a cornerstone of the NDMD’s public outreach strategy, focused on building a culture of disaster preparedness and community resilience starting from childhood. Brand praised the NDMD staff for their ongoing dedication to organizing the yearly program, noting that equipping young people with life-saving skills creates a safer foundation for the entire island. He also extended gratitude to the camp’s key partner, Bank of Nevis Ltd., whose sponsorship made the 2026 program possible, and thanked parents across Nevis for trusting the NDMD with their children’s development.
“This camp isn’t just a two-week activity for kids,” Brand added. “It’s an investment in a safer, more prepared Nevis, and every participant gets to carry that investment forward into their communities.”