Rotaract Clubs of St. Kitts and St. Maarten Sunrise host Student Exchange Project

Master Sheldon Richards, Rotaract Clubs of St. Kitts and St. Maarten Sunrise Student Exchange delegate at the R. L. Bradshaw International Airport en route to St. Maarten with Janella Rouse, Rotaract Club of St. Kitts President

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Fifteen year old, Sheldon Richards, a student of the Saddlers Secondary School left the Federation on Saturday 9th February 2013, to participate in the Rotaract Clubs of St. Kitts and St. Maarten Sunrise Student Exchange Project.

The young scholar, who was selected in 2012, as one of the island’s twenty-five (25) most remarkable teens, will spend seven (7) days with a host family and attend the St. Dominic High School with an Interactor during his stay.

He will also be representing St. Kitts and Nevis, as a delegate at the Rotary District 7020 Youth Leadership Awards (R. Y. L. A.), which is to be held at the Methodist Agogic Centre, in Phillipsburg, from 14th to 17th February 2013. The young ambassador will be among two hundred and seventy young persons, (including Interacators from St. Maarten and Sint Martin) and other representatives from Anguilla, Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Haiti, Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, as well as, the British and US Virgin Islands.

Master Sheldon Richards, Rotaract Clubs of St. Kitts and St. Maarten Sunrise Student Exchange delegate at the R. L. Bradshaw International Airport with members of the Rotaract Club of St. Kitts along with Rotarian Betty Ann Gilbert, of the Rotary Club of St. Kitts

During the highly interactive sessions, Richards will be actively engaged in effective public speaking, conflict resolution, dealing with bullying in an assertive but non aggressive way among other presentations. His leadership skills will also be polished, and will be complemented by team-building, and challenges exercises, as well as, participate in community service projects.

In addition to the training, he will also have the opportunity to fellowship, make new friends, network and get a first hand experience of island life.

This is the second time that the project has been undertaken. In 2005, St. Maartener and Interactor Trumane Trotman visited St. Kitts and Nevis for a similar exchange. Since then, she was elected to serve as President of the Rotaract Club of St. Maarten Sunrise, and represented her country in her capacity as National Carnival Queen.

The joint initiative between the two (2) clubs seeks to promote cultural and educational diversity, and friendship while strengthening Regional integration, and Youth involvement based on the ideals of Rotary International.