PHILIPSBURG:--- A holistic, wraparound program supporting youth and families through education, mentorship, life skills, and community engagement
Philipsburg, St. Maarten – February 2026 — RISE Foundation officially introduces the Elevate Youth & Family Program, a one-year holistic development initiative designed to provide wraparound support for young people and their families as they navigate the transition into adulthood.
Launched in September 2025 and currently in active implementation, the Elevate Youth & Family Program brings together structured support systems that extend beyond education alone. The program engages youth who benefit from consistent guidance, structure, and encouragement while developing practical skills, confidence, and personal responsibility. Participants are connected to the program through schools, community partners, and justice-related organizations and services, and are supported through an approach that emphasizes potential, resilience, and long-term growth.
The Elevate Youth & Family Program is a one-year holistic initiative made up of several interconnected components. Participants receive partial scholarships to attend educational programs such as the National Institute for Professional Advancement (NIPA) or work toward obtaining their General Educational Development (GED), take part in life skills and work-readiness workshops, engage in volunteering opportunities within their communities, and are matched with a mentor for guidance and encouragement. The program also includes a family component, where families receive support through engagement sessions, assistance from a social worker, and guidance from a trained mediator, with the goal of strengthening the family unit alongside the development of the youth.
“Being part of the Elevate Program means a lot to me because it can help me grow,” shared Jeananena Joseph (17). “I’m studying cooking because I want to become a professional chef, but I also want to have my own business one day, which is why learning about things like entrepreneurship, budgeting, and financial literacy is important to me. I’ve also enjoyed the workshops and volunteering because they help us build confidence and give back. When I think about my future, the change I want to create is to be braver and more confident in myself.”
Throughout the program year, participants take part in approximately 20 workshops focused on communication, responsibility, financial literacy, employability skills, personal development, and overall well-being, with entrepreneurship sessions and additional topics scheduled for later in the program. These workshops are designed to provide practical tools youth can apply in everyday life, while encouraging reflection, accountability, and growth.
“Early engagement has shown that young people benefit from both support and clear expectations,” said Josiah Lamothe, Program Manager. “By setting expectations early and reinforcing them throughout the program, Elevate helps participants stay focused, accountable, and connected to the goals they set when they joined.”
In addition to workshops, participants are involved in structured, scheduled volunteering activities within their communities. Alongside these activities, participants are also encouraged to develop and carry out their own community projects, allowing them to apply what they are learning while building initiative, responsibility, teamwork, and a sense of contribution.
Community collaboration plays a central role in the Elevate Youth & Family Program. Local professionals and community members contribute their time and expertise by facilitating workshops, supporting family sessions, and assisting with volunteering initiatives. The program also relies on community involvement to build a strong network of volunteer mentors who provide guidance, encouragement, and positive role modeling for participants.
“Elevate exists because young people don’t grow in isolation,” shared Chiaira Bowers, Program Manager. “As young people transition into adulthood, they need education, practical tools, encouragement, and a strong support network around them. Elevate combines opportunity with responsibility, helping participants apply what they learn and stay focused on their goals. We see Elevate as a springboard where young people can learn, explore, build confidence, and begin creating opportunities for themselves as they continue to grow.”
As the program moves into its second half, RISE Foundation will continue delivering workshops and volunteering activities alongside educational classes, strengthen the family support component, and launch the recruitment, training, and matching of volunteer mentors to further support participants throughout the remainder of the program year.
Businesses, organizations, and community members, interested in supporting or collaborating with the Elevate Youth & Family Program, including serving as volunteer mentors, are encouraged to contact RISE Foundation at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., by phone at +1 (721) 584-7473 or +1 (721) 523-8421, or by following the foundation on Facebook (risesxm) and Instagram (rise.sxm).
Training Conference 2026.
PHILIPSBURG:--- On Wednesday, 28 and Thursday, 29 January, police forces, chain partners, and training institutes gathered in Curaçao for the annual Training Conference. The two-day conference focused on how to organize a sustainable, professional, and regionally aligned education and development system for law enforcement.
The conference emphasized the importance of clearly identifying training needs and setting long-term priorities. On the first day, the Platform of Training Coordinators Caribbean (POC) discussed both content-related and organizational themes, including qualification dossiers, Basic Police Training (BPO), Integrated Professional Training (IBT), innovation, twinning, accreditation, and governance.
BPO is the foundational training program for new police officers, providing essential knowledge and skills to perform police duties. IBT is the mandatory ongoing training for serving officers, designed to maintain and improve operational skills such as use of force, arrest techniques, and professional readiness.
These discussions resulted in a series of decision cards, which were presented on the second day to the College of Police Chiefs (CvK) for further discussion and decision-making.
The conference demonstrated significant progress in recent years in professionalism and regional cooperation. Examples include joint regional training for IBT instructors currently taking place in the Netherlands and the development of a structured approach to qualification dossiers. Sexual Offences serves as a pilot dossier, and this approach will also be applied to BPO in 2026.
Challenges remain, particularly in ensuring sustainable follow-up within the police forces. This includes decisions on joint IBT policy, regional exchange, and how to keep IBT instructors adequately trained after completing their initial education. While the decision cards led to constructive and, at times, in-depth discussions, not all items received final approval. Where agreement was not reached, it became clear that further research is needed to support decision-making.
The role of the RST within the POC is twofold. On the one hand, the RST is responsible for training and maintaining expertise within the police forces in the areas assigned to it, namely technical support, digital support, and interception. On the other hand, the RST funds specific training programs for police forces, aligned with the tasks and priorities of the embedded teams. From both roles, training activities are planned for 2026, with attention to multi-year continuity.
Using the conference outcomes—both the decisions made and the discussions held—the POC will continue to define the multi-year training needs. Together with the training institutes, efforts will also focus on further strengthening cooperation, with a strong emphasis on long-term sustainability.
Public Meeting of Parliament regarding advice on the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee related to NV GEBE.
PHILIPSBURG:---The House of Parliament will sit in a Public meeting on February 5, 2026.
The Public meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 10.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg.
The agenda points are:
1. Incoming documents
2. Advice on the proposal by the Committee for Petitions on the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee related to NV GEBE
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.
The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.
The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament and www.pearlfmradio.sx
Government Affirms Commitment to Productive Public-Private Partnerships.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are a cornerstone of the current government's strategy for national development, according to Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), Patrice Gumbs Jr., the Minister addressed the value of these collaborations, emphasizing the government's unified approach and its focus on ensuring that such partnerships deliver tangible results for St. Maarten.
Responding to a press release from MP Doran , Minister Gumbs expressed his wholehearted agreement that if PPPs can be used to rebuild infrastructure like docks, they can certainly be applied to rebuilding schools. However, he stressed that extra care must be exercised when these partnerships involve sensitive areas, such as children's education and well-being.
The Minister pushed back against any insinuation that there is a lack of alignment within the Council of Ministers regarding the value of PPPs. He highlighted that these partnerships are a key element of the government-led program, demonstrated by the cross-cutting nature of the recently presented inter-ministerial policy. This policy is designed to ensure that all initiatives align with national priorities and meet established quality standards.
From Words to Action: The Importance of Good-Faith Execution
Minister Gumbs also addressed claims that previous administrations initiated numerous partnerships while the current government is "doing nothing." He posed a direct question to the public: if these partnerships were established, where are their fruits?
He explained that partnerships, no matter how well-intentioned on paper, require active effort and good faith from all parties to succeed. "The reality is, ladies and gentlemen, partnerships do not bear fruit if they're not watered in good faith," he stated. "Different players bring different energy."
This statement underscores the government's focus not just on creating partnerships, but on actively managing them to ensure they are productive and achieve their intended goals. The emphasis is on moving beyond discussions and agreements to concrete actions and visible outcomes that benefit the people of St. Martin. The government's stance is clear: successful public-private partnerships are those that are diligently nurtured and aligned with the nation's strategic objectives.
.
Continuation urgent Public Meeting of Parliament to address the escalating situation involving the nation’s fire and ambulance personnel.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in an urgent Public meeting today, February 4, 2026.
The Public meeting, which was adjourned on January 29, 2026, in the second round, was scheduled to reconvene on February 3, 2026, but did not take place due to a lack of quorum. The meeting is scheduled to be reconvened today at 16.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of General Affairs, and the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor will be in attendance.
The Ministers will return to Parliament to provide answers to the questions posed by Members of Parliament in the second round.
The agenda point is:
Deliberations with the Minister of General Affairs and the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor to address the escalating situation involving the nation’s fire and ambulance personnel (IS/320/2025-2026 dated November 10, 2025)
This meeting was requested by MP E.J. Doran, MP A.M.R. Irion, MP D.T.J. York, MP O.E.C. Ottley, MP L.CJ. Lewis and MP F.A. Lacroes
Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules.
The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg.
The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament and www.pearlfmradio.sx