Youth Development Programme

In 2003, soon after The Heroes Foundation was established, we sought to engage a number of young people from various backgrounds, in a project called the Youth Pilot Programme. The uniqueness of this programme is founded on the team structure. The First group came from diverse socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, and included those with physical challenges. They met regularly, attending various

workshops (e.g. drama, art and drug abuse). They engaged in community work, and through regular contact with each other, learned how to care for and consider the needs of others. The programme was rated as a success as the members were able to work as teammates and deliver Improvement Implementation Proposal (IIP). Each IIP submitted was to propose a way forward for a tangible improvement for the physically challenged schools involved. These students came from:

• St. Micheal’s Home for Boys
• St. Francois Girls’ College
• Princess Elizabeth Learning Centre
• Maple Leaf International School
• School for the Blind, Santa Cruz
• Cascade School for the Deaf

The Youth Pilot Programme has since developed, and is now known as the Youth Development Programme (YDP). The very first students of the Youth Pilot Programme are now referred to as the Pioneers of the YDP, and continue to be a part of the Heroes Foundation’s family.