Deputy Prime Minister and TEATT Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten, second from left, accepts the Owen Arthur Scholarship on behalf of St. Maarten, with Port St. Maarten Group CEO Alexander Gumbs at left, FCCA Foundation Chairman Micky Arison second from right, and FCCA CEO Michele Paige at right.
TEATT Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten, second from left, accepts the Owen Arthur Scholarship on behalf of St. Maarten, with Port St. Maarten Group CEO Alexander Gumbs at left, FCCA Foundation Chairman Micky Arison second from right, and FCCA CEO Michele Paige at right.
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten has been selected for the Owen Arthur Scholarship, a Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Foundation initiative aimed at supporting youth development, education and community advancement across the region, marking the country’s first inclusion in the programme.
The award was accepted by Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten on behalf of the government.
The selection gives St. Maarten access to a regional programme created to assist educational institutions and non-profit organisations, with a focus on building capacity and expanding opportunities for young people. The scholarship, established in 2024, is awarded on a rotational basis, with a different Caribbean destination chosen each year.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the minister said the recognition reflects both St. Maarten’s relationship with the cruise sector and the need for tourism to produce broader benefits beyond visitor arrivals and port activity.
“This recognition speaks to the strength of our partnership with the cruise industry and to a shared understanding that tourism must deliver real value to the people of St. Maarten,” Heyliger-Marten said. “Through this programme, we are able to invest in youth, education, and community development – areas that are critical to our long-term growth.”
Her remarks position the award not simply as a ceremonial honour, but as a potential avenue for translating St. Maarten’s tourism ties into community-based development. The minister also pointed to the significance of the scholarship’s namesake, the late Owen Seymour Arthur, the former Prime Minister of Barbados, whose leadership was widely associated with strengthening regional cooperation and engagement between Caribbean destinations and the cruise industry.
“St. Maarten will approach this opportunity with intention, ensuring that the support received translates into tangible and lasting impact within our community,” she said.
The FCCA Foundation launched the scholarship to honour Arthur’s legacy while supporting projects that create opportunities for youth throughout the Caribbean. For St. Maarten, the award comes at a time when government has increasingly emphasised the need for tourism-driven gains to be felt more directly at community level.
According to the release, further information on how the funds will be allocated will be shared once the ministry finalises its implementation approach. St. Maarten’s inclusion in the programme is likely to be viewed as another sign of the island’s standing within the regional cruise sector, while also placing attention on how effectively the opportunity is converted into concrete support for education and youth development on the ground.
