Through its Tourism Enhancement Fund, the SLHTA awarded scholarships under the Eileen Paul Scholarship Fund, continuing a five-year tradition of assisting the children of tourism industry workers.

Chief Executive Officer of the SLHTA, Noorani Azeez, explained that each scholarship is valued at $2,000 per academic year and is renewable as long as recipients maintain the required grades.

“Over the past five years, we celebrated 10 of these top achievers and we conveyed upon them a scholarship award of $2,000 for the academic year. Once they continue to meet the grade requirements, they would continue to access the scholarship throughout their secondary school stint,” Azeez said.

This year, however, demand for assistance was especially high.

“We were inundated with applications and so as a result, the committee took a decision to increase the amount of bursaries to 17 students. Today we are celebrating the convenience of those scholarship awards,” Azeez noted.

Beyond scholarships, the SLHTA is extending support through partnerships. The Tourism Enhancement Fund will donate 100 school bags to RISE Saint Lucia, an organization led by Dr. Venus Cherry, for distribution to children in need.

Looking ahead, Azeez outlined three key improvements to the Eileen Paul Scholarship Program starting next year, which include expanding the annual intake to 20 students, introducing bursaries for tertiary-level tuition, and incorporating psychosocial counseling support.

“We have observed that some of these kids, halfway through their secondary school exposure, their grades start to dip. Adolescents are bombarded with so many challenges, at a social, media, community, and peer engagement level, and so we feel the need to bring in professionals to work along with them,” he explained.

The SLHTA says these enhancements reflect its long-term commitment to supporting not just academic success, but the overall well-being of Saint Lucian students as they advance through their education.