White sandy beaches and turquoise blue sea are the associations that immediately come to mind when one thinks of the Caribbean thinks. Now the colour green is also to come even more into focus. The Sandals Foundation of the Sandals and Beaches Resorts hotel group, aims to improve the lives of people in the Caribbean islands and is increasingly focusing on sustainability in three core areas - education, community and environment.

Education - Gordon "Butch "Stewart Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship

Adam Stewart, executive chairman of Sandals Resorts International, recently announced the Gordon "Butch" Stewart Tourism & Hospitality Scholarship to develop the next generation of leaders in Caribbean tourism. The scholarships are awarded in honour of the recently deceased founder Gordon "Butch" Stewart. The scholarship is funded by donations from the Sandals Foundation. The scholarship is available to full-time team members who are selected based on their financial need, personal characteristics and success in their current position. In collaboration with the prestigious Sandals Corporate University (SCU) and in partnership with local colleges and universities, scholarship recipients can pursue up to a four-year college program in hospitality and tourism.

Community - The Reading Road Trip and Pack for a Purpose.

In addition, the Foundation has continued its commitment to work with local schools and educators to integrate marine education into the curriculum, conduct hands-on field trips to protected areas, and engage residents of coastal communities. In addition, there is a Pack for a Purpose-initiative, which is supported by the Sandals Foundation. It encourages guests staying at a Sandals or Beaches resort to pack up to two kilograms of necessary school supplies to support the educational needs of students in local schools. Additionally, the program also supports disadvantaged women. Hygiene supplies are in short supply on the islands. Future guests can assist with this as well. Travelers need to find out in advance about the Pack for a Porpuse-Website register and there pack the selected items for donation. These are then dropped off at the hotel reception upon arrival. The donated products are then distributed to the respective local centers to provide much needed assistance to those in need.

Environment - The Lionfish Diving Program and Beach Cleanups

In addition, the Sandals Foundation has developed various projects to protect the oceans. The Lionfish Diving Program aims to reduce lionfish populations in nearby reefs, as this non-native species is destroying local fish populations. They consume juvenile fish and crustaceans, eating up to 30 times their stomach volume. The distinctive brown and white fish also have poisonous spines and can injure locals if not handled properly.  

For example, by establishing and managing coral nurseries and marine protected areas, and working with local community groups to protect mangroves and turtles, the foundation has helped restore and conserve the Caribbean's fragile marine ecosystems. In addition, the initiative has worked with thousands of volunteers on beach cleanups throughout the Caribbean. In the process, over 15,000 kilograms of trash were collected from local beaches and waterways.