September 30, 2026 No comments
Project INSPIRE Officially Launched in St. Maarten to Strengthen Special Education
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - History was made in St. Maarten today with the official media press launch of Project INSPIRE, a two-year pilot initiative being implemented through a partnership between Education, Consulting, Academic Advising and Mentoring (ECAAM) of Dominica and the SKOS Catholic Education Foundation of St. Maarten. The initiative aims to strengthen educational support for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN), enhance educators' capacity, and promote more responsive, inclusive learning environments. According to SKOS Training Center Curriculum Director, Ms. Gianne Wilson De-Weever, Project INSPIRE is designed to improve educational outcomes for students with SEN while equipping teachers with strategies to better respond to diverse learning needs. Project Inspire stands for: Inspiring, Nurturing, Support, for Professional, and Responsive, Inclusive Education. ECAAM Facilitator...
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September 30, 2026 No comments
Sint Maarten’s Franshelis Garcia Earns PhD Degree in Researching Obesity Stigma
SINT MAARTEN/THE NETHERLANDS - Franshelis Garcia earned her PhD degree from Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands on Friday, September 25, 2026, after successfully defending her doctoral thesis on stigma surrounding obesity and metabolic and bariatric surgery. Garcia, a 2007 graduate of Milton Peters College’s VWO programme, moved to the Netherlands at age 18 to pursue higher education. She earned her Master’s degree in Clinical and Health Psychology from Utrecht University and began her academic career at Leiden University. In 2016, she joined the Health and Society group at Wageningen University & Research as an educator and researcher. Her thesis, “The Social Weight of Surgery: Understanding Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Stigma through Public Attitudes, Professional Practice, and Patient Experience,” examines attitudes...
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September 30, 2026 No comments
KPSM conduct security and traffic controls. Police Requests Public Cooperation
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - As part of ongoing efforts to maintain public safety and security on Sint Maarten, the Korps Politie Sint Maarten (KPSM) Flex Team, conducted security and traffic controls throughout various areas of the country during the afternoon hours of September 28 going into the early morning hours of September 29, 2026. During the nighttime controls, officers attempted to stop a dark-colored vehicle traveling along the A.Th. Illidge road after it was observed coming from the direction of a fast-food establishment in the Dutch Quarter area. The driver failed to comply with the officers’ instructions to stop and instead increased the vehicle’s speed. The driver continued fleeing at high speed in the direction of Mount William Hill. Officers initiated a short...
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September 30, 2026 No comments
Literacy Month Special: Pure Ocean Health Clinic Champions Local Literature with Library Donation
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - A good book can open a world of imagination, inspire a love for reading, and connect readers with stories created close to home. During Literacy Month, that connection came to life through the donation of two locally written books to the Sint Maarten Library by Pure Ocean Health Clinic and Kristina Simmons, in support of local author Jacintha Brice. Local author Jacintha Brice wrote “Our First Cake” and “The Well,” with illustrations by Daniella Simons, the sister of donor Kristina Simmons, creating a meaningful connection between the donation and Sint Maarten’s creative community. Simmons shared that the books were donated to encourage the community to support local authors and artists and to inspire people to read more...
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September 30, 2026 No comments
USM Library Adds Inscribed Copy of The Conch Paradox Ahead of Wednesday Talk
SINT MAARTEN (POND ISLAND) - The University of St. Martin (USM) Library has added an inscribed copy of The Conch Paradox: Rethinking Resilience, Second Edition, to its collection ahead of a public talk and conversation with author and Aruban economist Rendell de Kort on Wednesday, September 30. De Kort presented the book to Ms. Stacey Thomas, USM Librarian, on Monday, September 28. The copy is now available through the USM Library for students, faculty and staff to borrow. The Conch Paradox takes its title from the queen conch and uses the shell as a metaphor for resilience. The conch develops a strong protective shell, but the very structure that provides protection can also become limiting. De Kort applies this idea to individuals,...
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