For one hundred Saint Lucian youths, Wednesday’s ceremony marked the end of a transformative summer and the beginning of new opportunities. The fifth annual Botham Jean Youth Exploration Program once again equipped participants aged 12 to 18 with practical skills they can use to build careers and generate income.
This year, the program was hosted in both Castries and Vieux Fort. In the north, students at the busy NSDC facility participated in training that included life skills, bread, cake and pastry making, cosmetology, and digital media. In the south, participants engaged in the same curriculum, excluding digital media.
Founder of the Botham Jean Foundation, Dr. Allison Jean, said the impact of the program extends well beyond the classroom. “I got feedback from a parent who told me that her daughter was exposed to bread, cake and pastry making and is now making cakes and selling in her community,” she shared. “There’s a young man who did the program in its second year and he now has his own barbershop.”
Dr. Jean expressed pride in the positive feedback received over the years, noting that such success stories are proof of the program’s value in fostering entrepreneurship, independence, and confidence among Saint Lucian youth.
Now in its fifth year, the Botham Jean Youth Exploration Program continues to honor the legacy of Botham Jean by empowering young people with the tools to build a better future for themselves and their communities.
