Celebrating Caribbean Heritage Month

As Americans, when you hear Caribbean you think island getaway, a well-deserved vacation, or a honeymoon with sunburnt newlyweds. I think work.

I’ve gotten the opportunity to travel to a few of these magnificent countries, trying my best to determine their makeup along the way. Other than the clear blue water that ultimately bonds them, each island is different – culturally, linguistically, culinarily.

I’m tasked to go to each country with a team of experts, to train teachers on implementing our Ask, Listen, Learn program in their classrooms. Alcohol education, and character education in general, is much needed there. And it's something we're proud to provide.

Successful launches in Dominica, St. Lucia and Grenada have afforded us the opportunity to get to know the struggles facing each country’s students. We try to address everything from the lack of awareness of the dangers of underage drinking to the problems kids face at home, as well as working to create a sense of pride in the choices they make. Our work in the Caribbean is tailored to their needs as a community, because each country addresses underage drinking differently.

Although these countries vary culturally, one thing stays constant: a strong pride in their heritage and those cultural traditions that make them unique. Each place we go, we learn a little about the vibrant culture, and how much the teachers and community care about raising the next generation of confident, smart and proud citizens.

Want to hear from the teachers and what they learned from our programming? Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNcpYv54M6c

As the online voice of Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix and manager of #TalkEarly, Genevieve Adams, Manager Communications, has always had a philanthropic spirit and enjoys working for a non-profit that positively impacts our nation’s youth.