Carib Scope

分类： education

  • 48 Saint Lucian scholars set to begin studies in Taiwan

    48 Saint Lucian scholars set to begin studies in Taiwan

    A historic group of 48 young Saint Lucians is on the cusp of a life-changing academic journey, preparing to depart for Taiwan by the end of August to pursue tertiary education. This cohort represents the largest single-year group of Saint Lucian scholars heading to the island nation, marking a significant milestone in educational exchange between the two regions.

    This year’s group carries extra symbolic weight: for the first time in the history of this scholarship program, gender parity has been achieved, with exactly 24 male and 24 female students awarded opportunities to study across a diverse spectrum of academic disciplines. The aspiring scholars officially received their scholarship documentation at a formal ceremony held at Saint Lucia’s Finance Administrative Centre, a key step ahead of their upcoming relocation and the start of their academic terms.

    Upon arrival, the new students will not enter an unfamiliar community completely isolated from their home country. Nicole Su, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, confirmed that the incoming cohort will join an established, growing community of roughly 200 Saint Lucian students already completing their degrees in Taiwan.

    “This joining of our student communities demonstrates the shared values held by both Saint Lucia and Taiwan, as well as our collective commitment to empowering young people through accessible, high-quality education,” Su noted in her remarks. She added that Taiwan has earned global recognition for its culture of innovation and competitive academic and professional sectors, offering an enriching environment for international scholars.

    The scholarship initiative is an outgrowth of the long-standing bilateral relationship between Saint Lucia and Taiwan, which has for years prioritized creating international higher education opportunities for Saint Lucian youth. As the students make their final preparations for this cross-continental academic journey, Danny Butcher, Minister in the Ministry of Education, Youth Development, Sports and Digital Transformation of Saint Lucia, offered words of encouragement that extended beyond individual academic achievement.

    “I always want you to remember that with academic excellence comes service to humanity,” Butcher told the cohort. “Use your education to uplift others. Use your education to strengthen your nation. Use your education to ensure that someone else’s life is better with your influence.”

    For the 48 incoming scholars, the recent document presentation ceremony has moved them one step closer to stepping onto campus and adapting to life thousands of miles from their home communities, turning years of preparation into an imminent reality.

  • Sir McChesney George Student Joins Junior Chef Academy Internship at Galley Bay Resort

    Sir McChesney George Student Joins Junior Chef Academy Internship at Galley Bay Resort

    A young culinary talent from Antigua and Barbuda has earned a coveted spot in one of the region’s most promising youth hospitality training programs, marking a key step forward for the 2026 iteration of the Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy.

    Justine Griffin, a student at Sir McChesney George Secondary School, has been officially introduced as the eighth participant selected for the academy. Over the coming five weeks, she will complete a structured culinary internship at the acclaimed Galley Bay Resort and Spa, where she will work directly under the mentorship of the resort’s experienced Executive Chef Guven Uyanik.

    The internship period is scheduled to run from July 13 through August 21, giving Griffin more than a month of immersive, on-the-job learning in a fast-paced professional kitchen environment. During this time, she will not only refine her existing cooking techniques but also gain first-hand insight into kitchen operations, food safety standards, and customer service that can only be learned through hands-on practice, all while receiving guidance from seasoned culinary and hospitality professionals.

    The program will wrap up with a high-stakes showcase of the participants’ newly honed skills: a public cook-off competition set to take place between August 25 and 28. This competitive event will be followed by an official closing ceremony on September 3, where achievements will be celebrated and awards will be presented.

    At the end of the entire program, one standout participant will be crowned the academy’s Top Junior Chef. This title comes with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: the winner will earn the right to represent Antigua and Barbuda at the 2027 Junior Lit’l Chef Camp hosted in the Turks and Caicos Islands. This international opportunity is made possible through a collaborative partnership between the academy’s organizers and the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association.

    Program organizers have emphasized that the core mission of the Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy extends far beyond a single cooking competition. The initiative was created specifically to identify and nurture emerging young culinary talent from local secondary schools, giving participating students access to structured practical training that is rarely available to young learners outside of post-secondary education. It also exposes students to the wide range of career pathways available in the thriving hospitality and tourism sector, a core pillar of Antigua and Barbuda’s national economy.

    The 2026 edition of the Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy is jointly presented by three supporting partners: the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association, the Ted Isaac Family, and Global Ports Holding, which operates Antigua Cruise Port.

  • Destiny George Begins Junior Chef Internship at Keyonna Beach Resort

    Destiny George Begins Junior Chef Internship at Keyonna Beach Resort

    A promising young culinary talent from Antigua has taken the first major step toward her professional career through a targeted industry training initiative. Destiny George, a student at Ottos Comprehensive School, has officially started a 10-week culinary internship at the luxury Keyonna Beach Resort Antigua, placed through the highly anticipated Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy 2026 program.

    As the sixth young chef selected to be featured in this initiative, George will receive one-on-one mentorship throughout her placement from seasoned professional Chef Patrick Brown. Unlike traditional classroom learning, the internship is designed to immerse participants in the fast-paced environment of a commercial resort kitchen, giving George the chance to build practical, hands-on skills that cannot be learned from textbooks. Over the course of the placement, she will develop core culinary techniques alongside customer-centric hospitality expertise, laying a strong foundation for a future career in Antigua and Barbuda’s thriving tourism sector.

    The structured program follows a clear timeline that builds from training to competitive evaluation: the in-resort internship runs from July 13 through August 21, after which all participating trainee chefs will advance to a high-stakes cook-off competition held between August 25 and 28. The entire initiative will wrap with a formal closing ceremony on September 3, where final awards and recognitions will be distributed to participants.

    The top prize for the program offers a life-changing career opportunity for one outstanding trainee: the selected Top Junior Chef will earn the right to represent Antigua and Barbuda at the 2027 Junior Lit’l Chef Camp hosted in Turks and Caicos, opening doors to international networking, skill development, and industry exposure.

    The Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy is a collaborative effort between three key stakeholders invested in nurturing local talent: the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association, the Ted Isaac Family, and Global Ports Holding, which is the operator of Antigua Cruise Port. The initiative reflects a growing commitment across Antigua’s tourism industry to train young local professionals and build a skilled, homegrown workforce for the country’s top economic sector.

  • UWI Five Islands, University of Toronto Move to Make Summer Programme Annual

    UWI Five Islands, University of Toronto Move to Make Summer Programme Annual

    Following a highly successful inaugural iteration held in the Caribbean, two leading higher education institutions — The University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus, based in Antigua and Barbuda, and Canada’s University of Toronto — are moving forward to turn their collaborative summer study abroad programme into a permanent annual offering.

    Hosted across three weeks at UWI’s Five Islands Campus, the first edition of the programme centered on the specialized interdisciplinary course “Rethinking Crime, Law and Power in the Caribbean.” University representatives note that the programme marks a key step in reviving cross-institutional exchange opportunities between the two schools, with a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) already structured to enable ongoing reciprocal exchanges of both students and faculty members for years to come.

    This year’s inaugural cohort brought together a diverse group of learners pursuing studies across a wide range of fields, including pre-law, prison reform, criminology, public policy, computer science, and mathematics. Leading academics who facilitated the course say the hands-on, immersive experience pushed participants to re-examine long-held assumptions about deeply interconnected social issues shaping the Caribbean region: systemic race relations, structural poverty, patterns of criminal activity, and systemic dispossession of marginalized communities.

    “All, if not the majority of our students, have profoundly changed the way that they think about the nature of race relations [and] the nature of poverty,” one senior academic involved in the programme shared.

    Unlike traditional classroom-only courses, the programme blended traditional lectures and in-depth seminar discussions with immersive field trips across Antigua and Barbuda. Students visited sites including the island of Barbuda, Betty’s Hope — a historic former sugar plantation that offers key context for the region’s colonial history — the Dennis Bowers Rehabilitation Centre, and His Majesty’s Prison, giving learners first-hand insight into the criminal justice and social systems the course explored.

    Programme organizers report that the experience left a lasting impact on all participants. Many students were so transformed by their time in Antigua and Barbuda that a group has already begun organizing an independent reunion trip scheduled for within the next two years.

    Beyond the benefits for international students visiting the Caribbean, the cross-institutional collaboration also opens new doors for UWI Five Islands students to gain broader exposure to Canadian educational systems and social issues. As one UWI official explained, the small Caribbean nation’s geography, economy, and culture are all deeply shaped by global dynamics. Giving local students the chance to engage with perspectives from a country like Canada is a critical step in expanding their worldviews and knowledge bases.

    The official added that University of Toronto’s robust, widely recognized criminology programme creates a strong foundation for deepened academic collaboration between the two institutions in coming years, opening doors for joint research, curriculum development, and additional exchange opportunities beyond the annual summer programme.

  • CARICOM launches Regional High School Youth in Agriculture Video Competition

    CARICOM launches Regional High School Youth in Agriculture Video Competition

    In a coordinated push to spark youth interest in Caribbean agriculture, the CARICOM Secretariat has officially launched the Regional High School Youth in Agriculture Video Competition, opening submissions for secondary schools across the 15-nation Caribbean Community. Announced by the CARICOM Secretariat on July 24, 2026, and publicized on July 27, the initiative brings together multiple leading regional and global agricultural bodies to amplify the voices and work of young people growing food and leading sustainable farming projects in their local communities.

    Organizers of the competition include the CARICOM Secretariat in partnership with the CARICOM Youth Advisory Body (YAB), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). This cross-partnership collaboration reflects broad consensus across regional institutions about the urgent need to engage the next generation in addressing regional food security and building a sustainable agricultural economy.

    Participating high schools are invited to submit a 60-second original video that highlights student-led agricultural production activities on school grounds, centers student leadership, and articulates the critical role that agriculture plays in local communities, national economies, and the broader Caribbean region. The format is designed to be accessible to student creators, allowing them to lean into creativity, digital storytelling, and personal perspective to showcase their work rather than adhering to rigid reporting requirements.

    The submission deadline for all entries is September 4, 2026. Full competition guidelines, eligibility requirements, and submission instructions are available through official CARICOM channels. Three winning entries will receive cash prizes designed to support further school agricultural initiatives: first place takes home US$1,700, second place is awarded US$1,300, and third place receives US$1,000.

    At its core, the competition is a strategic outreach effort that targets multiple key goals for Caribbean agricultural development. First, it aims to raise public awareness of the growing role of young people in the regional agriculture sector, bringing visibility to youth-led projects that often fly under the radar. Second, it creates a platform to highlight successful student-led agricultural production programs across all CARICOM member states, creating opportunities for knowledge sharing between schools and communities. Third, the initiative seeks to educate participating students and their peers about the interconnectedness of agriculture to regional food security, environmental sustainability, and broader economic growth. It also showcases the innovative techniques, new ideas, and creative approaches that make modern agriculture an engaging and impactful field. Finally, competition organizers hope to challenge outdated narratives around farming as a static career, inspiring more young Caribbean people to consider agriculture as a viable, rewarding career path or entrepreneurial business opportunity.

  • Charr’d Restaurant Mentors Antigua Grammar School Student in Junior Chef Academy

    Charr’d Restaurant Mentors Antigua Grammar School Student in Junior Chef Academy

    A groundbreaking partnership between a local dining destination and a Caribbean secondary school is opening new doors for aspiring young culinary professionals, as Charr’d Restaurant has stepped forward to mentor a student from Antigua Grammar School through the innovative Junior Chef Academy program.

    The initiative, designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world industry experience, gives promising young students the rare opportunity to learn hands-on skills from seasoned restaurant professionals. Unlike traditional in-school training, the mentorship program places the student directly in the dynamic, fast-paced environment of a working commercial kitchen, where they can observe daily operations, practice fundamental cooking techniques, and gain insight into the behind-the-scenes work that goes into running a successful food service business.

    For Charr’d Restaurant, the collaboration represents more than just a community outreach project: it is an investment in the future of Antigua and Barbuda’s hospitality and culinary sector. By nurturing local talent early in their educational journey, the restaurant aims to build a pipeline of skilled young workers who can go on to strengthen the island nation’s tourism and food industries long-term. Restaurant leadership has emphasized that they are eager to share their expertise, from menu planning and food safety standards to customer service, to help the next generation of chefs develop the confidence and skills they need to succeed.

    The Antigua Grammar School student participating in the program brings a long-held passion for cooking to the opportunity, and has already begun working alongside Charr’d’s head chef and kitchen team to learn core culinary practices. Educators at the school have praised the partnership, noting that work-based mentorship programs like this complement academic learning by giving students practical, transferable skills that will serve them regardless of their future career paths. Many students interested in culinary arts often lack access to professional training opportunities in small island nations, making this collaboration a model for how local businesses can partner with educational institutions to fill that gap.

  • Leerkrachten pleiten voor bredere invoering van ‘Het Begint Bij Mij’-programma

    Leerkrachten pleiten voor bredere invoering van ‘Het Begint Bij Mij’-programma

    Against a backdrop of widely acknowledged gaps in educator development across Suriname’s education system, 32 teachers from four local schools have completed the first national iteration of *It Starts With ME*, an international personal leadership training program designed to transform how educators approach teaching and student support. The initiative, which focuses on building personal self-awareness, responsible parenting practices, and intentional self-reflection among education professionals and caregivers, has already drawn enthusiastic praise from participants who describe the course as a transformative eye-opener that should be expanded to reach all teachers in the country.

    Founded in 2003 by educator Adéle Grosse in South Africa, *It Starts With ME* was created to support not just teachers, but also parents and primary caregivers. Over its two decades of operation, the program has expanded to roll out across multiple African nations and the Netherlands, before being brought to Suriname by the Stichting Ad Fontys, with backing from the Stichting De Vrijeschool. This inaugural Suriname-based training session was hosted at the Lalarookhgebouw, led by local trainer Monique Lansheuvel.

    Lansheuvel explained that the core mission of the program goes far beyond conventional professional development: it pushes participants to examine their identity both as educators and as individual people. “The core of the work is building awareness around your role as a parent and your sense of self,” she said. “If you don’t understand where you’ve come from, you can’t chart a clear path for where you want to go. That’s why we explore participants’ own childhoods and personal histories. We don’t frame this as a process of judging right or wrong; instead, we ask what you want to do differently or better going forward.” By the end of the training, participants leave with greater self-confidence, a clearer understanding of their personal values and norms, and a stronger sense of what they want to pass on to the young people in their care, she added.

    For participant Cherrylane Pools, the most critical lesson the training taught was the importance of self-reflection before supporting others. “The biggest takeaway is that change starts with you,” Pools said. “If you aren’t feeling grounded and comfortable in your own skin, you can’t pass that stability on to the students you work with. The training helped me become far more aware of the impact I have on children and everyone around me. You have to be the example you want to see before you can expect others to change their behavior.”

    Organizing representative Tanja Meyer noted that the long-term goal of the pilot is to roll the training out nationwide across Suriname. “We need to build greater awareness that a teacher’s role extends far beyond just delivering lessons,” Meyer explained. “Suriname’s Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (Sasos) has already recognized that there are critical gaps and shortcomings in this area of educator development, which is why we launched the program here.”

    From this first cohort of participating teachers, organizers plan to train a new generation of local program trainers, with the ultimate goal of reaching as many educators and caregivers across the country as possible. Initiative leaders say they hope the program will drive lasting positive change across Suriname’s education and child-rearing sectors, centering core values of personal responsibility and intentional role modeling for the next generation.

  • UWI Extends Deadline for Online Postgraduate Programme Applications

    UWI Extends Deadline for Online Postgraduate Programme Applications

    Aspiring graduate students seeking flexible, career-focused advanced study have gained extra time to submit their applications, after the University of the West Indies (UWI) International School for Development Justice announced a major extension to its application window for fully online postgraduate programs, pushing the final deadline back to 31 July 2026.

    In an official statement released by the institution, school leaders explained that the decision to extend the deadline was crafted to remove barriers for qualified candidates across the globe. By extending the cutoff date, the school aims to open doors for a more diverse pool of prospective learners who may need additional time to prepare application materials, arrange financing, or align their enrollment plans with personal and professional commitments. Unlike in-person programs that require relocation or strict on-campus attendance, all of the school’s postgraduate offerings can be completed 100 percent remotely, meaning enrollees can advance their education from any location with an internet connection, fitting their studies around existing work, family, or community obligations.

    The suite of available programs covers a wide range of high-demand, impact-focused fields, catering to students interested in addressing some of the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century. Prospective enrollees can choose from multiple credential levels to match their goals: Master’s of Science degrees, postgraduate diplomas, and postgraduate certificates are all available. Focus areas of study include Public Health and Informatics, Sustainability and Data Analytics, Climate and Development Studies, Sustainable Development and Justice, and Sustainable Leadership and Development. This diverse lineup reflects the school’s core mission of advancing development justice, combining technical skill-building with training in equitable, sustainable global development.

    As of the announcement, the institution’s online application portal remains active and accepting submissions, with no changes to the existing application review process. Candidates who submit successful applications will retain full access to the fully online study format, retaining all the flexibility and geographic freedom that remote learning offers to non-traditional and international students.

  • Films brengen basisscholieren in contact met Franse taal en cultuur

    Films brengen basisscholieren in contact met Franse taal en cultuur

    A new collaborative educational and cultural initiative is opening the door for primary school students across Suriname to explore French language and culture through the power of cinema. Launched jointly by the French Embassy in Suriname and Alliance Française Suriname, the weekly program *Cinéma Scolaire du mercredi* (Wednesday School Cinema) will screen French-language films with Dutch subtitles for participating young learners.

    The kickoff event for the innovative program is scheduled for Wednesday, July 29 at the Alliance Française Suriname campus. Before the opening film screening, the Children’s Choir of the Cathedral Choir School, part of the Suriname Foundation School for Young Talent, will perform *Vois sur ton chemin*, the iconic song from the beloved French film *Les Choristes*.

    Following the launch, weekly screenings will be held every Wednesday through the end of the current school term before the major summer break. The program will resume in October after vacation concludes, allowing more and more students to participate throughout the full academic year.

    Organizers emphasize that the initiative is far more than a simple film screening series. Wherever possible, supplementary educational activities will be paired with screenings, including post-film discussions and cross-cultural exchange activities. The core goal of these complementary sessions is to boost student interest in French language and culture, giving young learners an accessible, engaging introduction to the broader French-speaking world.

    The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Suriname has pledged full support to the program, helping to facilitate participation from public primary schools across the country. The French Embassy covers all core funding for the initiative, while Alliance Française Suriname takes charge of on-the-ground organization of weekly screenings. Local transport company Le Grand Baldew provides additional logistical support to cover travel for students from participating schools.

    Participating schools are contacted directly by the program’s organizing team, and there are no participation fees for schools or students to join. For the collaborative team behind the initiative, the project represents more than an educational activity: it is an investment in cultural enrichment, language skill development, and stronger international cooperation, by introducing Surinamese children to French language and culture from an early age.

  • St. Mary’s Student Begins Culinary Internship Through Junior Chef Academy

    St. Mary’s Student Begins Culinary Internship Through Junior Chef Academy

    ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbuda – A promising young culinary talent from St. Mary’s Secondary School has taken his first major step toward a professional hospitality career, launching a six-week hands-on internship at the luxury Hermitage Bay resort as an early milestone in the 2026 Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy.

    Aleka Lewis Jr. began his on-the-job training July 13, working directly under the guidance of Hermitage Bay’s Executive Chef Desroy Spence through the end of the internship period on August 21. Unlike traditional classroom-based learning, this placement immerses Lewis in the fast-paced daily operations of a high-end professional kitchen, giving him the chance to build technical skills and industry insight that cannot be learned from textbooks alone.

    The internship is not an isolated opportunity, but a core foundational component of the broader Junior Chef Academy initiative, which is structured to groom emerging young culinary talent across Antigua and Barbuda for long-term careers in hospitality. Following the conclusion of all participant internships, the academy will move to its final competitive phase: a high-stakes cook-off competition scheduled to run from August 25 to 28. The entire 2026 programme will wrap with a formal closing ceremony on September 3, where participants will be recognized for their hard work and growth over the course of the initiative.

    At the end of the cook-off, one standout competitor will earn the title of the academy’s Top Junior Chef. Along with this prestigious recognition, the winner will secure a once-in-a-lifetime international opportunity: the chance to represent Antigua and Barbuda at the 2027 Junior Lit’l Chef Camp in Turks and Caicos. This international opportunity is made possible through a cross-regional partnership between the organizing bodies of the Taste of Wadadli programme and the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association.

    The 2026 Taste of Wadadli Junior Chef Academy is a collaborative effort, hosted by three key partners: the Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association, the Ted Isaac Family, and Global Ports Holding, which operates Antigua Cruise Port. From its inception, the initiative has centered on a clear core mission: to identify and nurture homegrown young culinary talent, and to encourage more young people in the country to pursue sustainable, rewarding careers in the thriving local hospitality and tourism sector.