Empowering the Next Generation: Big Rewards for Advancing Sustainable Tourism
Eight Barbadian students were rewarded for their creativity and passion for tourism and environmental sustainability during the 2025 Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Children’s Essay and Environmental Poster Competitions awards ceremony.
The Award Ceremony was held on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, Two Mile Hill, St. Michael, where the students earned highly-coveted prizes for their essays and artwork.
Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), Andrea Franklin, said they were impressed with the submissions.
“Our team at BTMI was extremely pleased with the quality of entries received, which provided a range of creative ideas on how we can safeguard our natural ecosystems for future generations of Barbadians and visitors alike to enjoy. Given the importance of tourism to our island, the Children’s Environmental Poster and Essay Competitions are pivotal in encouraging interest in the sector among our youth.”
The CEO also noted that these competitions are a vital gateway for young people to learn about cruise tourism and its benefits, and highlighted BTMI’s broader commitment to tourism education through various programmes such as the ‘All About Tourism Schools Awareness Programme’, ‘The Language Student Programme’ and ‘The Barbados Tourism Youth Congress — during which secondary school students, between the ages of 13 and 16, have the opportunity to compete to become the Junior Minister of Tourism.
The 2025 FCCA competitions challenged students to think outside the box about two important themes. For the Environmental Poster Competition, participants illustrated “How to Protect the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities”, offering practical solutions for safeguarding our fragile ecosystems.
For the Essay Competition, students wrote on “If I Were a Cruise Passenger, What Would I Like to See or Do in My Country”, reflecting on the unique experiences that make Barbados a destination of choice.
The competitions drew a total of 66 entries: 37 in the Junior Division Essay category, 11 in the Senior Division Essays, and 18 in the Junior Division Posters. The results were highly competitive, with only a few points separating the top performers.
For the Poster Competition (Junior Division), Laila Alleyne of Springer Memorial School took the top spot and went home with a five-night staycation for two valued at BDS$2,000. She placed ahead of Jazarah Brewster-Lewis of St Jude’s Primary and Kemani Holder of Eagle Hall Primary.
In the Essay Competition (Junior Division), Shaydon Lewis of The Lodge School won first place and a BDS$5,000 cruise voucher. He was followed by Ms. Alleyne of Springer and Ethan Burnett of Good Shepherd Primary, who took second and third place, respectively.
Ms. Alleyne also took second prize in the regional competition, and she won $1,500 for her school and a tablet.
In the Senior Division of the Essay Competition, Shaileah Frederick of Combermere School won first place, earning her a BDS$5,000 cruise voucher, and she was followed by Tenisha David of Princess Margaret School and Daryll Jordan Secondary School student, Gabrielle Grant. The second and third place winners received staycations and day passes at various hotels.
The judges for the poster competition were drawn from Barbados Port Inc, Platinum Port Agency Inc and the Ministry of Education. They praised the students’ creativity, research, and pride for their island. The judges for the poster competition were artists Rasheed Boodoo, David Alleyne and Head of the Oceania Innovation Hub Ché Greenidge.
Guest Experience Manager at BTMI, Althea O’Neal, emphasised the importance of building on this year’s achievements by securing more senior entrants.
“As we look ahead to the 2026 competitions, our challenge will be to promote greater participation in the senior divisions and to generate even higher levels of interest. We are committed to strengthening partnerships with secondary schools, expanding our outreach, and providing mentorship opportunities so that even more students can showcase their talents and passion for tourism. Hand in hand with marketing Destination Barbados, we are equally committed to educating and working with our young people, who are the future leaders of tourism,” Ms. O’Neal said.
The FCCA, established in 1972, has long been committed to fostering cooperation between cruise lines and partner destinations. The competitions were established in 1995, and Barbados has participated in both since their inception.
Over the years, Barbadian students and their respective schools have benefitted from a rich legacy built on highlighting the benefits of cruise tourism throughout our Caribbean region and raising awareness about the importance of preserving our environment.
The students’ involvement in the 2025 competitions marked a significant 30-year milestone in Barbados’ key partnership with the FCCA on this initiative.