AUC, Positive and Elektralyets Foundations launched the EmpowerEd: Reproductive Cancer Education Initiative for Adolescents at MPC.
SOUTH REWARD--The American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC), in collaboration with the Positive Foundation and the Elektralyets Foundation, has launched the EmpowerEd: Reproductive Cancer Education Initiative for Adolescents in St Maarten at Milton Peters College (MPC).
The school-based initiative is aimed at equipping young people with the knowledge and confidence needed to prevent reproductive cancers and seek medical help early when necessary.
According to organisers, the programme reflects a joint commitment to improving adolescent health literacy, reducing stigma surrounding reproductive cancers, and promoting equal access to prevention education.
The EmpowerEd launch included a Parent Information Forum held on March 26, followed by a Youth Educational Workshop on March 30, which involved 22 students.
During the workshop, students participated in interactive learning sessions focused on understanding cancer risks, prevention strategies, and how to communicate with healthcare providers.
Topics covered during the programme included testicular cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer.
A major focus of the initiative was early detection, with organisers indicating that recognising warning signs and seeking medical care early can greatly improve cancer outcomes and survival rates.
Organisers said in a press release that students who participated reportedly gave overwhelmingly positive feedback, stating that the workshop created a safe and supportive environment where they felt comfortable asking difficult questions and learning how to discuss health concerns with doctors.
“AUC is proud to partner with the St. Maarten community to promote health and wellbeing,” said Mark Rosenberg, dean of AUC. “The EmpowerEd initiative, with its focus on increasing awareness of reproductive cancers among young people, is an example of our ongoing commitment to bettering our community."
The initiative also aligns with the Ministry of Public Health’s call for residents of St. Maarten to consider the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as an important tool in preventing HPV-related cancers in both women and men, including cervical cancer in women. Organisers said introducing these concepts during adolescence is intended to encourage lifelong preventive health behaviours.
“I commend AUC, the Elektralyets Foundation and the Positive Foundation for this impactful programme,” said Eva Lista-DeWeever from Collective Prevention Services (CPS). “This initiative makes a meaningful contribution to advancing public health and ensuring that high school students are informed about cancer prevention. Since introducing the HPV vaccine in 2013, CPS has continued to make this vaccine available to girls starting at age 9. While the vaccine has not yet expanded to boys, parents and guardians are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to protect their children’s health.”
Mercedes “Elektra” van der Waals Wyatt, president of the Elektralyets Foundation, said the
organisation remains committed to increasing awareness and prevention efforts surrounding reproductive cancers.
“The Elektralyets Foundation believes that protecting our youth means taking action today. We are committed to working hand in hand with our healthcare partners to drive awareness, prevention and real change around reproductive cancers. This is bigger than education, it’s about saving lives,” Wyatt stated.
She added that community collaboration can help shift “the narrative from late diagnoses to early action, from silence to awareness, and from risk to protection,” while encouraging residents to get checked.
Wyatt also expressed hope that the EmpowerEd initiative will eventually expand to every high school on the island. The EmpowerEd team stated that plans are already underway to expand the initiative to additional high schools across St. Maarten during the upcoming academic year.
Schools interested in participating in the programme were encouraged to contact Dr. Natalie Humphrey of the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
