As students across the Caribbean prepare to head back to their classrooms for a new academic year, the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has announced a new multi-phase community outreach program called CPL SchoolYard, designed to connect top professional cricketers with young fans and support student success across the region. Scheduled to roll out over the coming weeks starting in mid-August, the initiative combines hands-on engagement with tangible resources to empower the next generation of Caribbean young people.
The first phase of the program, branded CPL SchoolYard – Back to School, will take place on August 17 at two simultaneous host venues: the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Saint Lucia and Kingston’s Sabina Park in Jamaica. More than 50 participating students at the two locations will get the chance to take part in interactive skill-building games and meet-and-greet sessions with current CPL franchise cricketers. Beyond the unique opportunity to connect with the athletes they follow, every participating child will go home with a fully stocked book bag filled with essential school supplies to remove barriers as they start the new school year.
The outreach will extend into September with the second phase, CPL SchoolYard – Take a Player to School, set for September 10 at schools across Guyana and Barbados. During this phase, professional CPL players will visit local classrooms to interact directly with students, sharing personal anecdotes about their own journeys from Caribbean schoolchildren dreaming of a career in sport to full-time professional cricketers. These sessions are designed to offer inspiration and relatable guidance for students pursuing their own goals, on and off the cricket pitch.
In addition to the in-person back-to-school events, CPL has also committed to expanding digital literacy access and education for young people across the Caribbean. The league will integrate digital literacy programming into match-day activities at its stadiums, and will leverage its large, engaged social media following to roll out additional resources through its official digital channels.
Christine Charles, Chief Marketing Officer of CPL, emphasized that the new initiative goes far beyond promoting cricket across the region. “CPL SchoolYard is about more than cricket. It’s about showing young people across the Caribbean that the players they cheer for started out exactly where they are now, in a classroom, with a dream,” Charles explained. “We’re proud to help send children back to school with everything they need, and even prouder to watch our players give their time to inspire the next generation.”
As the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League continues to expand its presence and fan base across Caribbean nations, the launch of CPL SchoolYard reinforces the league’s longstanding commitment to investing in the local communities that form the core of the CPL fan family. The program creates a rare, direct opportunity for young cricket fans to build personal connections with the professional athletes they admire, while addressing tangible needs for students returning to the classroom.