SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - On Tuesday, 11 February 2025, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Melissa D. Gumbs met with 3rd Vice President of the Collectivite, Ms. Dominique Louisy, to discuss opportunities for collaboration and cooperation between the Ministry and the Collectivite on matters related to education, youth and sports.
Joining the Minister were Chief of Staff, Ms. Suzette Moses-Burton and Cabinet Policy Advisor, Mr. Marvio Cooks. Ms. Louisy was joined by Project Officer for Caribbean Regional Cooperation & International Relations, Mr. Michel Zapata, and Director of CTOS, Mr. Kenroy Bryan.
“For four years in Parliament, I spoke passionately about expanding cooperation and collaboration between the Collectivite and St. Maarten," Minister Gumbs said in a media statement. “It's an honour now, as Minister ECYS, to have the opportunity to move the needle forward with a tangible, structured approach. Like many on this beautiful island, my bloodline crosses the frontier at several points so there is no question about this minister's commitment to realizing true cooperation with our northern neighbours."
During the meeting, the discussion focused on measurable steps that could be taken to improve cooperation across several topics within education, youth and sports, including programs such as study and work exchange and co-hosting sport initiatives. Mr. Bryan, in his capacity as Director of CTOS, shared information on the central kitchen and school canteens, with the intention to identify collaborative possibilities and best practices.
“We identified three critical action steps that ECYS must work on to move this cooperation forward,” Gumbs concludes. “This will include consultation with relevant internal and external stakeholders, and I hope to have an update on at least one key objective by the end of March 2025.”
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