SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - September brought together two important moments for Sint Maarten: Literacy Month and SDG Month. For Windward Islands Bank (WIB), it was also an opportunity to reflect on the role education and literacy play in building stronger, more empowered communities.
Reading is one of the foundations of learning. It opens the door to knowledge, supports learning across subjects and helps children develop the confidence and skills they need as they progress through school and into their future.
Throughout September, WIB team members contributed their time to activities that encourage reading and learning among young people.
At Sister Borgia, WIB team members provide weekly Dutch language support, helping students strengthen their language skills and build confidence in their learning.
Team members also visited St. Dominic Primary School and St. Joseph School to read with students and share the experience of discovering stories together. These moments may seem simple, but they can make a meaningful difference. Taking the time to read with a child helps reinforce the value of reading while creating an opportunity to learn, explore and imagine what is possible.
These employee-led activities complement WIB’s broader support for education and literacy initiatives. This includes the D.E.A.R. initiative at the University of St. Martin, Reading Festival 2026, the Beyond Kultura Events Foundation book project, which aims to distribute 600 books to schools and the library across Sint Maarten, as well as support for locally researched publications that help preserve and share the history and heritage of the Dutch Windward Islands for future generations.
Together, these efforts reflect the connection between Literacy Month and Sustainable Development Goal 4, Quality Education. They also demonstrate that sustainable development is not only about large-scale initiatives. It can begin with something as fundamental as helping a child read, making books more accessible, supporting language development or preserving knowledge so it can be passed on.
As Literacy Month and SDG Month come to a close, the activities of September may end, but the importance of learning, literacy and access to knowledge continues. For WIB, supporting education is part of contributing to a community where people have the opportunity to learn, grow and build their future.
