YDP Past Events

The start of the New Term for the Heroes Youth Development Teams for 2006 from September 4 th 2006 was met with a lot of educational, motivational and self-awareness activities that were geared to build the self esteem and confidence in them.

Goals set by the Heroes Foundation is to:

One of the first events that were thoroughly enjoyed by the youths in the programme was the International Beach Clean-Up. This was an event that takes place all over the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) have countries all over the world clean, weigh and record the debris that is disposed by individuals all over the world. Trinidad and Tobago take part every year and the Heroes Foundation got the students in the respective teams from various schools to participate. They are:-

The Foundation accepted the invitation for our youths in the programme to become involved in an event that will benefit not just the nation but the youths themselves and part of our goal is to fulfil their needs, which are-

The next event was the Sci-tecknofest 2006 which took place at NIHERST, National Science Centre, Churchill Roosevelt Highway , Maloney. This event started from September 27 th to October 15 th 2006 . This is an educational event that takes place every year and its theme this year was ‘THE ENVIORMENT Our PLACE and Our Space' . We were able to get our Youth Heroes Youth Teams from our various schools in our programme to attend. They are-

• Barataria Junior Secondary (am shift)
• Barataria Junior Secondary (pm shift)
• Bishops Centenary College
• Diego Martin Junior Secondary. (am shift)
• Diego Martin Junior Secondary. (pm shift)
• St Francois Girls College
• Woodbrook Government Secondary
• Rougier's football Academy from La Brea

This experience was a very educational and it featured various aspects of our environment such as-

• The Terrestrial Eco Park
• The Aquatic Park
• Raging Planet
• About Us and many more

We must give special thanks to Mr Zameer Mohammed and Mr Lester King of the UTT for making this event possible.

The next event is the Career Days in keeping to our commit to expose the students to as many Career opportunities in our community. We have had the privilege of having the following companies open their doors to our teams, they are-

Ms Carla Mendez -Express House. Independence Square

Aloma Griffith - Water and Sewage Authority (W.A.S.A.) St Joseph

Ms Thalia Badal - BPTT Queen's Park Plaza

Special thanks is extended to these companies that have given us their commitment and willingness to Career Days with schools in our programme.

Two hundred and twenty (220) youths were officially inaugurated into the Heroes Foundation (HF) family on Tuesday 16th January, 2007 by His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. These youths paraded very proudly down the halls of His Excellency’s home as they received their official certificate and pin making them life long members of HF.

Patricia Auguste, HF’s Youth Development Coordinator, recalls the pride she felt as she addressed the new members on the day of the auspicious event, ‘To know the struggle we had at the beginning of the programme and to now see the fruits of everyone’s labour makes me feel so proud of these young people. I know they are destined for greatness, and their ambition will infect their peers as their teams grow with each passing year!’

We were also joined by thirty four (34) of the Pioneer Youth Team members who also received their official symbols of inauguration. These youths have been working with HF since 2003 and have been quite dedicated to the Cause to date.

We, the team here at HF, would like to thank our new and old members for your commitment to our mission, “To provide a source of inspiration to Trinidad and Tobago’s youth, by fostering an appreciation of Achievers and the Concept of Heroism”, through which you have in your own way inspired us. We look forward to working with our new members on future projects nationwide and within their communities.

On Friday 19 th October, 2007 Suez LNG (TT) Ltd. and The Heroes Foundation's Youth Development Programme (YDP) launched their Improvement Implementation Proposals, fondly referred to as IIP's, at Barataria Jnr. Sec School, Bishop's Centenary, Diego Martin Jnr. Sec. School, Woodbrook Sec. School and St. Francois College.

To elaborate, teams will be guided by the Foundation's Youth Programme Coordinator and are required to conduct the necessary research within their respective areas before making a selection as to an institution or home that is in physical need or their school. In deciding how to go about refurbishment, teams must identify the cost of required resources, obtain necessary approvals and present proposal to identified institutions.

Next they purchase materials, execute upgrades, and hold respective presentations when improvements are completed before conducting evaluations. Each of the eight (8) teams is required to budget the $5,000.00 contribution they will receive, through Suez LNG (TT) Ltd. sponsorship. The Foundation believes the IIPs are a means of building participants' competence, confidence and self-esteem and is a proposed way forward for a tangible improvement to the disadvantaged of Trinidad and Tobago, while increasing awareness of the importance of volunteerism within this generation.

SUEZ LNG (TT) Ltd. is pleased to be partner and key sponsor of this creative and empowering initiative of the Heroes Foundation .The Foundation endeavours to provide for the nation's youth opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities, realize potentials, display positive values and contribute to the greater good of society. SUEZ LNG is a shareholder in Atlantic LNG and also a major purchaser of LNG from Trinidad and Tobago. The company is a client of Phillips Promotions Co. Ltd

INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN UP 2007

Youths DO CARE about the Environment! Approximately one hundred and fifty (150) youths of the Youth Development Programme (YDP) participated in the Environment Management Authority (EMA) and World Health Organization (WHO) Annual Beach Clean Up held on 15 th September, 2007. Beaches which were on the list were Chagville, Las Quevas, Tyrico, Matura, Salybia, Blandra, and Caura River. This event is held around the world to sensitize people on the dangers of destroying our beaches and the amount of pollution that we, the public, contribute towards the deterioration of our environment.

Part of the day's activities is recording the items found on data cards. This helps track the types of debris appearing on each beach through the year. This helps the Organizers determine if the trash is land-based (items left by beachgoers) or ocean-based.

To all the YDP Members who participated, thank you for being pioneers to your peers: Bishops Centenary College, Barataria Junior Secondary, St Francois Girls' College, Woodbrook Government Secondary and St Michael School for Boys.

YDP INAUGURATION 2008

This event took place on Tuesday 12 th February 2008. One hundred and ninety-seven (197) new members from the six schools that are presently in the programme were inaugurated into the Heroes Youth Development Programme. At this event they were recognised for the year commitment to the programme and received their official certificate and pins, making them lifelong members of the Heroes Youth Development Team.

These schools are, Barataria Junior Secondary School, Belmont Junior Secondary School, Bishop's Centenary College, Diego Martin Junior Secondary School, St Francois Girl's College and Woodbrook Government Secondary School. The recipients were: Principals and Teachers of the schools currently in our Programme who have supported and committed their time to the programme. Past Advisory Board Members, who have supported the Foundation from inception.

Sponsors recognised were - The Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, NGC, Methanol Holdings, Petrotrin, British Gas Trinidad and Tobago, Yorke Structures, CLICO, First Citizen Bank, Beacon Insurance, Ansa McAL Limited, Suez LNG, Arcelor Mittal Steel (Pt Lisa) Limited.

 Motivational Speakers a nd Supporters recognised Ms Charmaine Gandhi, Mr Michael Andre, Mr Brian Beckles and Mrs Sanel Dempster. Special Recognition was given to the youth Development Programme's Pioneer Members who have supported the Foundation continually over the years and Volunteers who have given their valuable time.

"CHRISTMAS AT THE MOVIES" - SACO | UTT | 2008

On Sunday 14th December, 2009 twenty-four Heroes Foundation YDP members were paired off with a Unit Trust Corporation (UTC) employee to attended a Christmas Concert by St. Augustine Chamber Orchestra (SACO) entitled ‘Christmas at the Movies. Our YDP members invited to this event were primarily from Barataria Junior Secondary.  This outing was to recognize them as ‘Most Outstanding Team’ 2007.  UTC hosted these youths as part of their initiative to have their employees more involved in their community.

For the employees of the UTC assisting communities is much more than “writing a cheque”, every member of their team actively gives of their time to assist the communities they have been proud to serve for the past twenty six years.

‘We were pleased to partner with the Heroes Foundation on this activity. We hope that by joining and exposing our nation’s youth to cultural activities we assist in developing and shaping the future of our nation. Our team enjoyed spending time with the youth and also enjoyed and excellent evening of entertainment by the school.’- Danielle Jones, Assistant Vice President- Communications (UTC).

The SACO Concert was completely enjoyed by all our attendees’, youth and adults. Feedback received was that the concert surpassed their expectations and they were fully enthralled by the performing youths. They admired the proficiency with which they exuded their pieces, and the professional and disciplined stage presence.  Employees from UTC fully appreciated the company of our youths. Some students protested at the beginning of the night that they were too shy to talk were observed talking incessantly to the adult, with whom they were paired with, as time progressed.

This marked the success of the evening’s event- all were treated to an enticing evening of good company and musical enchantment.

INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN UP 2009

Hundreds of youths under the Heroes Foundation (HF) umbrella were disbursed to various beaches here in Trinidad as they participated in the Ocean Conservancy’s International Costal Clean-up (ICC) on Saturday 19th September 2009. The ICC is the world’s largest volunteer event of its kind which allows people to remove garbage from the beaches and waterways, whilst identifying the sources. This is done with the hope of changing the behaviors that cause water pollution.  World wide, ICC day is observed on the third Saturday of September. Trinidad and Tobago’s participation is overseen by the National Planning Committee (NPC) and is one of the 104 nations that participate in this annual event. The data submitted is utilized to assist in bringing around positive behavioural patterns to improve our nation’s environmental standing; long term we are optimistically impacting on the minds of our youth, cultivating them as advocates for the protection of our environment.

HF’s role in this venture is coordinating volunteers via Secondary School participation, Youth Homes/Institutions and general public. The youths enthusiastically look forward to this annual event which is apparent in the increasing numbers. The Foundation is proud to report that this was our fourth participating year and we had near to seven hundred volunteers!

Special thanks goes out to all participants who came from our Youth Development Programme (YDP) schools [St. Francois Girls College, Woodbrook Government Secondary School, Barataria North Secondary School, Belmont North Secondary School and Diego Martin North Secondary School] , Youth Homes/Institutions via our Big Brothers and Big Sisters programme (BBBSTT) [Hope Centre, Marian House, Rainbow Rescue, Phillip’s Home, and St. Mary’s Home], St Georges College, Bishop Anstey High School, St. Michael’s Home for Boys, Guardian Holdings and general public interest [sourced via our Facebook page].

All participants worked diligently and tirelessly to clean, collect and record as accurate as possible data that will be later collaborated and analyzed. This information will be used to view the trends of waste disposal that are taking place, and bring resolution that will lead to change to the mind set of citizens; not just in Trinidad and Tobago but throughout the world as well. We are also proud to report from the organizers of the various beach sites their pleasure of observing the exemplary behavior displayed by our volunteers, especially our YDP members; such as their patience, meticulousness and eagerness, in which, they approached their duties.

CONGRATULATIONS TEAMS ON A JOB WELL DONE!!

Beaches for 2009- Balandra, Caura River, Chagville, La Brea Station, Las Cuevas, Manzanilla, Mayaro, Quinam, Salybia and Tyrico.

Some 200 or so students, accompanied by their teachers, sat in the auditorium of the National Academy of the Performing Arts on Thursday 31st March 2011. They were there to be formally installed into the Heroes Foundation’s Youth Development Programme (Y.D.P.) for 2011. They all hailed from seven schools in North Trinidad: Bishop Anstey Centenary College, Belmont Secondary School, Woodbrook Government Secondary School, St. Francois, Diego Martin North Secondary School, South East Port-of-Spain Secondary School, and Barataria North Secondary School.

These lucky students were to be inaugurated by the President of Trinidad and Tobago, Professor George Maxwell Richards; he is the Foundation’s patron. President Richards was full of praise for the Y.D.P. He lauded it for its successes, for instance the fact that it has worked with over 1000 students in eight years. He said that time had come for the Heroes Foundation, the parent organisation of the Y.D.P., to share the programme with the rest of the nation.

In that vein, the President’s advice turned to the issue of fundraising. He noted that programmes such as these often faced a lot a difficulty securing regular funding. The President said that such challenges must be overcome.

“This is not a movement, and I use the word advisedly, that should remain a well-kept secret, and in the absence of traditional sponsorship should not stand in the way of furtherance of growth.”

Throughout its existence, the Youth Development Programme has thrived on the support from past and present members, generous corporate entities and good Samaritans. But it’s the students who always remind us of the value of this programme. They are the ones who have kept us going by introducing it to their friends, parents and teachers. As such we, the staff of the Heroes Foundation, owe it to them to take the President’s advice to heart.

When it was time for our Founder and Chairman, Philip Julien to speak, he shared an anecdote about a United States’ Space programme. His advice to the youths of Trinidad & Tobago is that they should follow the ethos of the Space programme by ‘Thinking Big’. That advice holds for all of us. While the challenges we face are many, the work of the Y.D.P. programme is undeniable. There are calls for the programme to be introduced to schools outside of North Trinidad including the sister isle. Currently we face a severe limitation, that of funding, and this has slowed our growth to that end. However, if we have to ‘Think Big’ in order to overcome the challenges we face, financial or otherwise, it would be worth it. The youth of Trinidad and Tobago are worth it.