A major push to empower Saint Lucia’s next generation of environmental leaders is officially underway. The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), in partnership with Taiwan, has launched the ECO Youth Ventures Curriculum, a two-year national initiative aimed at equipping 500 students with advanced STEM tools to tackle the island’s most pressing ecological challenges.
From combating coastal erosion to protecting coral reefs, the programme will merge science, technology and sustainable tourism to help students transform their ideas into real-world solutions.
Local Coordinator for the ECO Youth Ventures Project, Kerin Malaykhan, explained that the curriculum is designed to link classroom learning with the expertise of industry professionals.
“The goal is to have our industry stakeholders come in,” she said. “We want partners from the tourism industry, from the sustainable development industry. We want persons who deal with environmental issues to come in to see the ideas that the students come up with, to give them suggestions on how they can turn that idea into reality.”
Malaykhan emphasised that the project is meant to prepare students for long-term careers in science and innovation. “The goal is to get them ready for that future career in STEM,” she said.
The initiative is being rolled out in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
“We are currently working with the Ministry of Education to help identify the schools and teachers that this program will reach,” Malaykhan noted. “We are looking at 10 schools, identifying 25 teachers with a goal of reaching 500 students.”
Once these initial steps are completed, the programme is expected to be fully integrated into the school system by the next academic cycle.
“Once that has been accomplished, we are hoping that the curriculum can be implemented in the next academic year, 2026 to 2027,” Malaykhan said.
The ECO Youth Ventures Curriculum marks one of the most significant youth-focused climate action efforts in Saint Lucia, positioning secondary school students as key contributors in the nation’s fight for environmental resilience.