St. Maarten's Franshelis Garcia earns PhD for obesity stigma research

A back-to-school campaign focused on encouraging healthy habits among children has been launched in Sint Maarten. The initiative aims to instill positive behaviors in students as they return to the classroom for the new academic year. While specific details about the organizing body are limited in the excerpt, campaigns of this nature typically involve health authorities, schools, and community partners working together. The program likely targets areas such as nutrition, physical activity, hygiene, and mental well-being. Promoting healthy habits early in the school year is seen as critical to improving student performance and long-term public health outcomes. Such campaigns are especially relevant in the Caribbean, where childhood obesity and lifestyle-related health issues have been growing concerns. The initiative reflects a broader regional push to integrate health education into the back-to-school period.

Four organizations — Collective Prevention Services (CPS), the Department of Sports, the Public Education Division, and Stichting EGO — have jointly launched a back-to-school awareness campaign in Sint Maarten aimed at encouraging healthy habits among children and their families. The campaign coincides with the start of the new school year in Philipsburg. By partnering across health, education, and sports departments, organizers are taking a multi-sector approach to child wellness. The initiative targets both students and parents, recognizing that healthy habits formed at home and school reinforce each other. Campaigns of this nature are increasingly common in the Caribbean as public health agencies seek to address youth nutrition, physical activity, and overall well-being. No specific end date or campaign milestones were detailed in the available excerpt, but the coordinated effort signals a broader institutional commitment to preventive health on the island.

Philipsburg-based photographer Rodney Washington has been named the winner of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association's (SHTA) 2027 Events Calendar Photography Competition. The contest, organized by SHTA, invites local photographers to submit images that capture the spirit of St. Maarten for use in the association's annual events calendar. Washington's winning photograph will be featured prominently in the 2027 edition of the calendar, giving his work wide distribution across the island's hospitality and business community. The SHTA calendar is a well-known promotional tool that highlights the island's culture, scenery, and events to residents and visitors alike. The win represents a meaningful recognition for Washington within St. Maarten's creative community and underscores SHTA's ongoing effort to celebrate local talent. The competition also serves as a platform to showcase the island's visual identity to a broader tourism audience.