“A lot of our students are absorbed in the hospitality industry and so I am very excited for this.” The sentiments of a beaming Principal at Wycliffe Martin High School, Evorine Henry-Tracey as she shares the importance of a recent $3-million renovation of the Home Economic Department that has been completed by the Sandals Foundation.
Located just about 2.5 kilometers outside of St. Mary’s capital, Port Maria, the predominantly male population of Wycliffe Martin High are beneficiaries an inclusive learning approach that focusses on skills and professional development.
“To help meet the needs of our students, we focus on vocational areas even as we prepare them for 6th form, higher education and a place of work. We are part of the tourism belt so the Home Economics Department each year is oversubscribed,” says Principal Henry-Tracey.
For approximately 6 years, the department has been in disrepair, forcing a 50% reduction in the number of students that could be facilitated. Now, students of the 2025/2026 academic year will be able to complete their practical training in an industry-like environment.
“The whole internal space has been refurbished. One of the major problems we had was serious termites which would have damaged cupboard spaces. We have gotten rid of all the pests, fumigation has been done, all the tiles have been replaced. The space is better organized, in addition to the paint and electrical work, we have a refrigeration section and an extractor fan to help minimize the heat in the space. And we have new glass windows and steam tables that can also be easily cleaned.
For Heidi Clarke, Executive Director at the Sandals Foundation, the support forms part of the philanthropic organization’s commitment to youth education and skills development.
“To facilitate the academic growth of our young people, it is important that they are provided with the resources they need to explore and learn. The renovation of the Home Economics classroom will, we hope to strengthen the teaching-learning process, enabling students to sharpen their skills to confidently take their place in hospitality- an industry that is boundless in the opportunities it presents.”
The improved infrastructure now enables up to 40 students to be facilitated in their studies. A welcomed feat of Principal Henry-Tracey.
“Far more students can now do the subjects and get the practical experience. Senior students being prepared for the world of work - they will now be in a modern space that will look more or less like where they will be working soon. The upgrade has significantly improved what we are able to offer our students.”
Stand Up For Jamaica has entered a new year of its transformative programme with a JMD $12 million investment from the Sandals Foundation, expanding support for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in Kingston and Portland while continuing educational and psychosocial rehabilitation across the island’s correctional facilities of Tower Street, St. Catherine and South Camp Adult Correctional Centres.
The 2026 programme will train 40 women in Kingston and 40 in Portland, while also reaching more than 100 community members through sensitization sessions aimed at strengthening gender-based violence awareness and prevention. The inclusion of Portland marks an important step in expanding structured support services for survivors in rural communities where access has historically been limited.
“This year we have expanded our programme to support survivors of gender-based violence,” says Maria Carla Gullotta, Executive Director of Stand Up For Jamaica. “We will engage women between the ages of 18 and 40, many of whom are survivors of violence or residents of volatile communities identified through partnerships with community leaders, restorative justice offices and local health authorities. Participants will receive HEART-certified cosmetology training, along with counselling, legal guidance and entrepreneurship coaching designed to help them build sustainable livelihoods and reduce the economic dependence that often keeps women trapped in abusive environments.”
The programme’s evolution, Gullotta says, reflects a growing understanding that true rehabilitation requires more than education. “Over the years we have seen that when individuals are given education, psychological support and now livelihood skills, they begin to see possibilities for their lives that once seemed impossible. This programme is about restoring confidence, creating opportunity and helping people rebuild their futures with dignity.”
The 2026 programme builds on important groundwork laid in the previous phase of the partnership with the Sandals Foundation, which strengthened rehabilitation efforts within correctional institutions by introducing psychological and behavioural change interventions alongside education programmes. Through the support of the Sandals Foundation, in 2025 mental health clinicians, including counselling psychologists and psychotherapists were integrated into the correctional facilities’ initiative to help participants process trauma, regulate emotions and develop the resilience needed to fully engage in academic and vocational training.
Dr. Veronica Salter, Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist says the programme is already delivering measurable results. “These women inmates have faced a lot in society and have never had help to deal with it. They often feel inadequate as women and as mothers. But with the right support, we are able to help them regulate their emotions, express themselves and begin to rebuild their lives in meaningful ways.”
In 2025, more than 300 incarcerated individuals engaged in rehabilitation programmes, accessing education, counselling, vocational training and entrepreneurship development opportunities. The initiative supported 150 individuals through structured rehabilitation programmes, facilitated 103 participants preparing for CSEC examinations, and enabled 11 inmates to graduate from the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean, including five bachelor’s degree graduates and six associate degree graduates who all completed their programmes with honours.
One former participant, now a programme graduate, reflected on the life-changing opportunity the programme created.
“Being a part of the CSEC and Associate Degree programme facilitated by Stand Up For Jamaica and funded by the Sandals Foundation helped me value education in a new way. I am pleased to know there are still people who believe in the power of transformation and that not everyone wants to write us off and label us as criminals because we broke the law. Sometimes losing something — in this case my freedom — was the best way to unveil my potential, and I am eternally grateful for this opportunity.”
For the Sandals Foundation, the continued partnership with Stand Up for Jamaica reflects a long-standing commitment to investing in people and strengthening Caribbean communities through education, and providing second chances.
“Gender-based violence and incarceration are not isolated challenges; they affect families and communities across our region. By investing in education, psychosocial support and skills training, we are helping individuals reclaim their agency and create pathways toward stability and opportunity,” says Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation.
Since 2019, the Sandals Foundation has supported Stand Up For Jamaica through investments in educational resources, teacher salaries, certification programmes and mental health services within correctional facilities. The programme’s continued expansion signals confidence in a holistic approach that combines education, healing and economic empowerment to create genuine second chances.
From sustaining physical endurance to supporting the gift of life, the Sandals Foundation has handed over critical, life-saving neonatal equipment to the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at the Millennium Heights Medical Complex, following the triumphant staging of Island Challenge Saint Lucia in October 2025. Funds raised through the four-day quest have been used to procure essential medical equipment valued at over £100,000, strengthening the hospital’s ability to care for critically ill newborns from their very first breaths.
The equipment—including ventilator, nesting system, infant warmer, incubator, jaundice meter and infant blankets—will directly support the SCBU in providing intensive care to approximately 180 neonates each year, from birth to 29 days old. For the dedicated team at Millennium Heights, the handover represents far more than new machinery—it is a renewed promise of care and a source of hope for families across the island.
Dr. Greaves, the Chief Executive Officer for the Complex, says the donation represents partnership in action and a shared commitment to protecting the most vulnerable. “Every newborn entrusted to our care deserves the strongest possible start to life. Through the generosity of the Sandals Foundation and the spirit of Island Challenge Saint Lucia, we are strengthening our capacity to deliver high-quality neonatal care and improving outcomes for families across the island. Today, we celebrate not only new technology, but renewed hope.”
Island Challenge Saint Lucia brought together more than 30 local and international athletes who committed their bodies and minds to a demanding four-day journey across the island’s diverse terrain—all in service of pediatric healthcare. Spotlighting the enchanting beauty of Saint Lucia’s natural landscape, participants traversed a 10km coastal run and sea kayaking along the island’s breathtaking shoreline, a rainforest trek through Fond St. Jacques in Soufrière, a half-marathon from Pigeon Island to Sandals Regency La Toc, and the iconic climb of the volcanic Gros Piton.
Each mile completed, each summit reached, carried a singular purpose—to give Saint Lucian newborns a stronger chance at life.
“The Island Challenge is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when visions are aligned and committed partners come together,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation. “Every step taken by our athletes, and every donation made by our partners and donors, has led to this moment—where hope becomes tangible, and care becomes stronger. At the Sandals Foundation, we believe that investing in healthcare is investing in life itself, and
today, we are incredibly proud to stand alongside the medical professionals and families of Saint Lucia.”
The initiative was delivered in collaboration with Unique Vacations UK Ltd., Sandals Resorts Saint Lucia, and the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, reinforcing the role of responsible tourism as a catalyst for national development and community well-being.
Additional partners of the event include CPJ Saint Lucia, Island Routes, Harris Paints International, Caribbean Metals Limited, Superior Tours, Carnival Sailing, Excel Signs, Amicus Legal, Nico Tours, Grew Industries 1989 Ltd., Acado St. Lucia, Golden Egg Farms, RJB Hotel Supplies, and Heineken. While the list of international partners making the event possible are British Airways, Mobile Media, Mail Metro Media Group, RedPill, Accord Marketing, TTG Media, TripAdvisor, Hays Travel, Hearst, Threadneedle Media, The InPrint Group, EightandFour, Air Canada Vacations, and WeTransfer.
As this critical equipment now add to the service at the Millennium Heights Medical Complex, the effects of Island Challenge Saint Lucia will be felt far beyond the finish line—echoing in stronger healthcare systems, empowered medical teams, and brighter beginnings for hundreds of Saint Lucian families.
Some 50 students at Chalky Hill Primary and Infant School have been donned Irie Stars Peacemakers following a collaborative initiative led by the Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA) and the Sandals Foundation to mark National Peace Day.
The event, which also marked the official opening of the school’s newly installed IRIE Peace Garden by the Sandals Foundation, sought to reinforce positive values and peaceful behaviors among students, under the national theme, “Rebuild Jamaica Piece by Peace”.
Valued at approximately $200,000, the peace garden has strengthened the school’s efforts to create a positive and nurturing environment for students. Equipped with seating area and a vibrant mural, the space has provided children with a dedicated location to engage in reflection, teamwork, de-escalate conflicts, and engage in environmental stewardship.
On Tuesday, March 3, the school community recognized the 50 students through the “Irie Stars Peacemaker” Awards Ceremony commending pupils who consistently model positive behavior in keeping with the school’s core values. Each awardee received specially designed “Irie Stars Peacemaker” buttons to proudly wear all year.
Patricia Pottinger Bailey, guidance counsellor at the school, says the awards form part of the school’s IRIE initiative, strategically designed from the School-Wide Positive Behaviour Intervention and Support.
“The IRIE Peacemaker Award recognizes students who have exhibited their IRIE behavior,” she said. “IRIE is our core value; it is a behavior change plan that we have put in place to see positive outcomes.”
“What does respect look like in the lunch line? “What does respect look like in the classroom?” she asked. “Their parents are also encouraged to reinforce these values at home. At the Parent- Teachers’ Association meetings, parents are sensitized about our core values for the programme to be effective.”
According to Pottinger Bailey, the Peace Day awards go beyond recognizing conflict resolution but looks at the holistic development of students.
Christine Badal McBean, principal of Chalky Hill Primary and Infant School welcomed the partnership and emphasized the importance of instilling peaceful values from an early age.
“Peace is not something we speak about only on one day; it must be practiced daily in our classrooms, on our playground and in our homes,” the principal said. “Activities like these help our students to understand that their choices matter. When they choose respect, hard work and kindness, they are helping to rebuild Jamaica, piece by piece.”
For Jonelle Llewellyn, research associate at the VPA, the observance forms part of the organization’s ongoing work to cultivate peaceful norms in schools and communities.
“National Peace Day provides an opportunity to intentionally highlight and reward positive behavior,” Llewellyn noted. “When we recognize children for being respectful, mindful and stewards of change, we are helping to shape a culture where peace becomes the standard, not the exception.”
In addition to the awards presentation, students received token bags prepared by the VPA. The bags, which contained crayons and coloring books, were distributed to beneficiaries identified by the school, with some aligned as prizes
